Stood Up
by ncislove
Summary: Abby is stood up by Gibbs for their dinner date the night before her birthday. Read & Review.
1. Chapter 1

I'm in the process of wrapping up a longer Gabby fic, but the ending just isn't working out with me. However, in trying to figure that out, I came up with this. It's a two-shot. Enjoy.

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Abby danced around her bedroom as she searched for the match of the shoe she held in her hand. It was the evening before her birthday and Gibbs would be arriving any minute. They had followed this tradition of him taking her out to dinner the night before her birthday since the year they had met. Each year the location was a surprise, Gibbs would give her an idea of what to wear, if she should dress up or not. Each year the location changed; a fancy restaurant one year, the bowling alley the next, a picnic in the park the year after that. Abby dug the black heel out from under her bed. He had told her they were going somewhere casual, so she had opted for red shirt, dark-wash jeans and her black heels. The heels were to spice things up a bit. Once she had finished getting ready, touching Abby grabbed her purse and went to sit on the front step to wait for Gibbs.

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Gibbs leaned forward to tie his shoes. Once finished, he sat up and reached for his watch which he had left on his bed-side table while he showered. He was just about ready. He had to admit, he was looking forward to taking Abby out to dinner. Work had been more than crazy lately; one case after another involving some horrific crime had taken its toll on him. He was ready for a change of pace. The place he had chosen to take Abby was a small Greek place owned by a friend of a friend, and although it was a casual place, they had agreed to set up a special table for Abby, with lots of black roses, candles, and serve Caf-Pow with her dessert. Gibbs couldn't think of ever having gone to so much trouble for a woman, let alone one he wasn't even dating. Gibbs grabbed his wallet and slid it into his back pocket before grabbing his jacket and his car keys. As he walked towards his car, he wondered if Abby looked forward to her birthday each year as much as he did.

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Abby glanced down at her watch. That morning, in a rush, Gibbs had told her he would pick her up at seven o'clock. That meant that Gibbs would pull up to her house at six fifty-nine and ring her door bell at seven. He had always been like that. She didn't know how he did it, she figured he must arrive early and pull over on the next street over and wait until the precise time. Abby watched the hand on her watch click from six fifty-eight to six fifty-nine and then looked up expecting to see Gibbs car pull onto her street. She frowned when her watched showed two past seven and Gibbs still hadn't shown up. _Oh well, he was busier than usual today. Maybe he's just running late. He'll be here soon._ At quarter past seven Abby dug her cell phone out to make sure she hadn't missed a call from him saying that he was running behind. At seven thirty Abby moved back inside. She paced until quarter to eight before dialing his number. She didn't want to pester him, or make him feel bad if he had forgotten, but it was so unlike him to just not show up. She first called his house number. The phone rang and rang. He didn't have an answering machine at home, so after six rings she hung up. She paced a few more minutes before dialing his cell phone. It went right to voice mail, a sign that his phone had been turned off. Gibbs _never_ turned off his phone, ever, unless he was on a plane, but Abby was fairly certain he wasn't flying anywhere. When she got his voice mail, Abby felt a twinge in the pit of her stomach.

_Something isn't right. Think Abigail, think. What would Sister Rosa do?_

Abby grabbed her purse and keys and went to her car.

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Gibbs was reaching to grasp the door handle of his sedan when something crashed down on his head, dropping him to the cement. His world went black.

Donny Smith was an angry man. Five years ago, Special Agent Gibbs and his team had put his father away for the murder of their next-door neighbor, a Navy commander. His father had never been the same after the death of his mother, but jail had seemingly pushed him over the edge, and mentally he retreated from the world. Donny hadn't spoken to his father, the man he knew his father to be, since the final day of the trial. He had understood that what his father had done was wrong, but his father was sorry, he didn't deserve to go to jail. Something in the last few months had made Donny snap. His first thought was to go after the entire team, but then decided that just agent Gibbs would do. It had been agent Gibbs who had figured out his father was guilty. His team had missed the most crucial evidence. He would leave them alone.

Donny grabbed Gibbs under his arms and dragged him back towards the front door. He got him into the living room and shut the door, locking it behind him. He sat on the sofa and waited a few minutes as Gibbs stirred, starting to regain consciousness.

"Well, well, well agent Gibbs. Wake-y, wake-y time." Donny peered down at the agent. He wanted to have a little chat, before he finished what he started.

Gibbs let out a groan as his sight began to clear. His head hurt, he wasn't sure why. He could see a face peering down at him, but he didn't recognize it. "Who…"

"Special Agent Gibbs, I'm hurt. Although, I was only fourteen the last time you saw me, so maybe I've grown a bit and that's why you don't recognize me." When Gibbs didn't answer, Donny continued. "You put my dad away for killing that Navel officer. You have no idea what jail has done to him. I don't even know him anymore. You took away my dad. You took away my DAD!" Donny stood and lashed out Gibbs, his foot connecting with Gibbs' stomach.

Gibbs curled in a ball to try and protect himself, but it was no use. When Donny didn't have a clear shot to kick him, he resorted to his fists, pounding against Gibbs' face, and then his sides, hitting his kidneys with force. Donny felt his power drain and he collapsed back on the sofa and watched Gibbs writhe in pain, silently.

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Abby pulled onto Gibbs' street and noticed his car was still parked in front. As she slowly pulled closer her headlights picked up something shiny on the street next to his car. Abby pulled ahead of Gibbs car, parking in front of the neighbor's house. Abby left her purse in the passenger's seat, but dug out her phone and slipped it into her pocket along with her keys.

Abby stood by the trunk of her car and looked up at Gibbs' house. The lights were off, including those in the basement. He wasn't working on his boat. Abby went a few paces further and searched through the darkness for what she had seen in her head light. The street light was out, so she felt along the cement with her fingers until she touched a set of keys. Abby pulled out her cell phone and flipped it open. With the light of the screen she could see it was Gibbs' keys, instantly recognizing the key chain she had bought him, a heart with 'world's best boss' engraved on one side and the statue of liberty on the other. She had found it at some tacky souvenir shop when she had taken her brother sightseeing. Abby felt her gut turn. He had either been forced into a different car, or he was back inside.

Abby thought she heard yelling so she ran towards the house, ducking down below the living room windows; she didn't want to be seen.

"… you took away my DAD!" Abby could hear faintly through the closed windows. Abby tried to peek in through the windows, but they were set high and she couldn't quite see. Even with her heels on she needed another six, maybe seven inches to get a clear look into the room. Abby looked around, but saw nothing she could move to the window to step on. She stared out at Gibbs car, when an idea struck her. Quietly she hurried to Gibbs car and slipped his key into lock of his truck. The lock clicked and she felt the truck pop open. Luckily there wasn't much in there, so it only took a few moments to pull back the fabric to reveal the spare tire.

The adrenaline coursing through her veins made the tire feel as light as a feather as she lifted it from his truck. She set it on the lawn and rolled it up to the window. Laying it down gently, she balanced one foot on the rubber before putting her weight on it. It didn't quite get her the height that she needed, but she was able to dig her fingers into the window sill and pull herself up the remaining inch that she needed.

Abby's eyes were adjusted to the darkness, but still it seemed even darker in his living room. It wasn't until she saw movement that she realized he was in there. She could hardly make out Gibbs on the floor in the corner by the sofa, but she could see a man sitting and staring down at him. Her hand was at her pocket, reaching for her phone when she saw the man start to kick Gibbs again. She let out a tiny gasp and jumped down from the tire. She crouched down and dialed Tony.

"Yo Abby, what's up?"

"Get to Gibbs, and bring back up!"

"What?"

"Gibbs is hurt, someone is inside his house, kicking him."

"How do you know?"

"Because I just peeked in his window!"

Tony stumbled for words, but finally got out a coherent sentence. "Ok, Abby I'll call the others and we're on our way. Get in your car and drive down the street. Gibbs will kill us if anything happens to you. We'll be there in 15 minutes."

"Ok." Abby hung up. She hugged her knees tightly and thought for a moment. _Like hell I'll wait, he doesn't have 15 minutes._

_I need to get in there, without this guy knowing._ Abby stood and rushed around to the back door. It was locked. _Go figure, the only time his doors are locked and I need to get in._

Abby walked slowly back towards the front of the house, willing herself to figure out how to get in. _Think this through, Abigail, think it through. Even if you did get in, you need a weapon, otherwise you are useless. A weapon… a weapon._ Abby stood by his basement window. The light from the next door neighbor's porch reflected off something in the window sill. She crouched down and looked to see what it was. An empty bottle of bourbon, if she had a bottle, that could be used as a weapon, but there would be no way she could get in through the door, get to the basement and get the bottle before this mystery man had her.

Abby needed to get into that basement. She felt along the window, her fingers were sticky with sweat and she was able to use it as traction to wiggle the glass. The window was locked, but it wasn't tight. If she could just wiggle it enough… Abby smiled when she felt the glass skip over the old-fashion lock. She had snuck in after missing curfew enough in her teenage days. The window was small, but it didn't take long for her to wriggle through the opening and drop to the floor. She switched on the light and saw that there were plenty of items she could wield as a weapon. She knew Gibbs had a gun, but it was locked away and she didn't have the time to pick the lock. Abby picked up a hammer and stuck the handle in her right back pocket. She stuck a screwdriver in her left back pocket, and grabbed a long piece of pipe to carry in her hand. She was about to start up the stairs when a roll of duct-tape caught her eye. _That always comes in handy_.

Abby knew which steps creaked and she also knew that if you opened the basement door more than a foot it the hinges would squeak. She opened the door an inch and listened. She could hear the man mumbling about how Gibbs would pay for what he did to his father. Abby pushed the door open a little further until she was able to snake her body out. Abby tip-toed across the floor until she stood just around the corner from the living room, now she could hear the soft grunts coming from Gibbs as he was being kicked.

Abby peeked around the corner, and stepped forward when she saw the man had his back to her. She was able to cross the room without making a sound. She was right behind him when Gibbs opened his eyes. He looked past Donny to see Abby. "Abby?" His voice was weak.

Donny paused, his fist drawn to deliver another blow. "Who?"

Abby brought the pipe down squarely on Donny. She heard a sickening crack when it made contact with his head. He dropped down over Gibbs.

Abby brought his hands behind his back and wrapped duct-tape around them, ten times before she was satisfied that he couldn't get out of it… just in case. She pulled him off of Gibbs and felt for a pulse. His heart was still beating, he was still breathing. She was only a little glad she hadn't killed him, she figured that if she had to kill someone it would be with her forensics, not a piece of pipe. Abby turned on the light to the living room before moving back to Gibbs. His face was bloody, but she suspected that the man who had been beating on him wasn't as strong as he could've been; nothing was obviously broken.

"Abby?"

"Shh, Gibbs. The others are on their way. Then we'll get you to the hospital to get checked over."

"I don't…" Gibbs struggled to pull himself into a sitting position, much against Abby's protest. "I don't need to go to the hospital."

"Like hell…" Abby stood. She had planned on getting a wet paper towel to wipe up a bit of the blood, but when she stood she saw Tony, Ziva, and McGee parked across the street, strapping on bullet proof vests.

Abby swung the front door opened and yelled out at them. "Took you long enough, get in here!" Abby left the front door open and went to the kitchen. She was bringing out a wet towel and a glass of water when the agents stepped cautiously inside.

"What the hell happened?" Tony looked at Donny on the floor and then to Gibbs leaning against the sofa.

"You guys took too long, so I went in." Abby crouched down next to Gibbs and wiped the blood from his mouth. Gibbs took a sip of the water, swished and then spit the bloodied water back into the glass. "Can you guys take care of _him_ now? I need to get Gibbs to the hospital." Abby nudged Donny's foot with her own.

"Uh, yeah."

"Ok, Tony and McGee… help me get him to the hearse. He can lay down in the back."

"DiNozzo, if you want to live you'll help me to my own car."

"Yes, boss."

With Tony and McGee on either side, Gibbs walked out to his own car and lowered slowly into the passenger seat. Abby ran to the hearse to grab her purse before digging Gibbs keys from her pocket and getting in the driver's side.

Abby drove carefully and quickly to the ER. She was told there would be a 30 to 40 minute wait, as his injuries didn't seem life-threatening, but Abby pulled out her NCIS I.D. card and made up a threat, something about the President, governmental agencies, and undercover agents. Gibbs was promptly taken back.

The doctors made quick work and she was allowed to see him again. "Well, Ms. Scuito, agent Gibbs was lucky. Nothing is broken, and the cuts seem to be superficial. We've put butterfly strips over the cut on his brow and you can take those off in 36 hours, they probably weren't necessary, but we wanted to err on the side of caution. He has a mild concussion, so we would like to keep him overnight, but he is refusing, so as long as someone will stay with him, we'll discharge him. He said you might be willing."

"Yes, no problem! What do I need to look for?"

"Well, we expect him to have only mild symptoms, likely a headache, a little dizzy perhaps. A little nausea is normal, but bring him back in if he begins to vomit, suffers from any deafness in either or both of his ears or if he seems overly disoriented, or his speech starts to slur. Basically he just needs to rest. But we have this pamphlet on concussions, you can read it over and always call if you've got any questions"

"Ok." Abby took the paper from the doctor.

"Oh and if all goes well, I would recommend he visit his regular doctor in a few days."

"Yes, we work closely with our doctor, so I'm sure he'll stop by tomorrow to check him over."

"Well then it sounds like agent Gibbs is in good hands. You can go in and see him. I'll have a nurse bring his discharge papers."

"Thank you." Abby smiled at the doctor as she stepped past him into the room where Gibbs was resting. His eyes were closed, but she was fairly certain he wasn't asleep. She wanted to touch him, but she wasn't sure what, if any, part of him didn't hurt. She settled for wrapping her hand around his index finger and giving it a slight squeeze.

His eyes flicked open at her touch. "Abbs…"

"Hey Gibbs…"

"We had dinner plans."

Abby could help but laugh. "Yeah, and you stood me up to play cops and robbers with some guy. I'm hurt."

"Abby…"

"I know, I know… you didn't mean to. It's ok. I know, sometimes crazy people just get in the way. I mean look at me, I've had my fair share crazy people breaking into my place, the nunnery, my lab. It happens to the best of us. We can have dinner another day, but next we need to get you home."

"Abby, I'm sorry."

"Always the gentleman, you are, but you've got nothing to be sorry for. The nurse will be by soon with your discharge papers and I'll swing by my place and grab a few things. And then I'll take you home."

Gibbs nodded, his head hurt and his body ached.

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Second part should be up tomorrow… It's in my mind, I've just got to write it out.  
Read & Review :D


	2. Chapter 2

Part two

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Abby peeked out the window to make sure Gibbs was still in the car. She had told him she would be less than five minutes; she just needed to grab a few changes of clothes, her tooth brush, Bert and her pepper-spray. She wasn't going to risk anyone else breaking in and beating on them both. Abby was prepared.

Satisfied that he was waiting patiently in the car, Abby resumed stuffing various articles of clothing in the duffle bag set on her bed. She made record time in getting back to the car. Gibbs was still where she left him, resting quietly.

Abby shut the car door as quietly as possible; she knew he had a headache. It was a ten minute drive back to Gibbs' place, and they arrived to find Tony just about to get into his car.

"Boss… McGee and Ziva escorted the guy to the hospital, they just called, and he'll likely be out of it for awhile. I was headed to find you. Can I ask few questions before I leave so we can try and pull together the case before this guy wakes up?"

"Sure, Tony."

Abby followed with her bag in hand, as Tony helped Gibbs up the front steps and into the house. Gibbs' hesitated once they were inside, looking over to where he had laid curled on the floor.

"Come on boss, let's sit at the table." Tony urged him towards the dining room table.

Abby set her bag by the stairs before going into the kitchen. She poured a glass of water and then set it in front of him, a pain pilled in her out-stretched hand. The doctor had given her some pain medication with instructions on how often he could have them. She left Tony and Gibbs to talk, after Gibbs had given her an odd look. She figured he wouldn't want her to hear the details of him getting hurt. Abby went to her bag, dug for what she was looking for and disappeared upstairs. Fifteen minutes later Tony called up to her that he was finished.

Abby joined them in the dining room and then followed Tony to the front door as he prepared to leave. Abby promised she would call him if they needed anything, and said that they would talk tomorrow. She locked the front door behind him and turned back to Gibbs.

"Come on, Gimpy. I've run you a bath."

"I don't want to take a bath, Abby. I just want to sleep."

"I know, but you don't have to soak for long. I brought some Magnesium Sulfate Heptahydrate, Epsom salts. Its commonly used for easing muscle pain and fading bruises, it'll help you feel better. I'm not asking you to soak your face, but it'll help the rest of your body. It will also regulate your electrolytes, which will improve nerve function. Also, with all that happened you've got a lot of adrenaline coursing through your body, which drains magnesium. Magnesium is a natural stress reliever. It'll help with binding the serotonin…"

"Ok Abby, I'll take the bath." Gibbs wanted to snap, but he knew she was just looking out for him.

"Good." Abby helped him to his feet and steadied him as they walked to the stairs. She let him lean on her rather than holding him up. She wasn't sure where exactly he was hurting. Getting up the stairway was slow-going. At the top of the stairs she directed him into the bathroom and left him supporting himself against the wall as she checked the temperature of the water in the tub. She had run the hot water, but was satisfied that it had cooled to an enjoyable temperature.

Abby started with his shoes, untying them and slipping them off his feet, one at a time. She was careful as she removed his socks, even though there was no sign of injury.

She stood and looked him over. "Can you lift your arms?"

"Yeah."

Abby nodded and gently lift the hem of his shirt. She tried to ignore the angry blue, purple and brown marks that had started to appear on his torso. He grimaced as his arms lifted completely and Abby muttered an apology as she worked the fabric gently over his face.

"Abby…"

Abby ignored him, and her fingers tugged as his belt buckle.

"Abby."

"Relax, I'm not looking." Abby kept her eyes fixed on his as she worked the belt and then unbuttoned his pants. Her fingers found the zipper and once it was down she heard his pants drop slowly to the ground.

"I can take it from here, Abbs."

"Right." Abby stepped back and waited.

"Uh, Abby?" Gibbs shifted uncomfortably.

"You'll need help getting in, Gibbs. I told you, I won't look." Abby squeezed her eyes shut and waited.

He couldn't help but smile. His head hurt, his body hurt, but Abby still brought a smile to his face. It was painful, but he managed to free himself from the black boxer-briefs he had been wearing. "Ok."

Abby opened her eyes, but before she could say anything Gibbs cut her off. "Eyes up here, Abbs."

"Sheesh, no need to be such an eye nazi. I said I wouldn't look…" She eyed his arms and chest. "I'm not really sure what the best way to help you down is."

"My arms down hurt so bad. You won't hurt me."

"Ok." Abby resisted the temptation to peek below his waist as she helped him closer to the bath. Gibbs stepped gingerly into the tub and slowly lowered himself with Abby's hands supporting him, holding his elbow.

"What's that smell?" Gibbs asked once he was seated comfortably.

"It's the bubbles. I added some lavender because it helps with relaxation. I didn't take you to be a bubble-bath kind of guy, but I figure it gives you a little coverage."

Gibbs nodded.

"You just soak. I'll be right back, I'm going to toss your towel in the dryer to heat it up a bit, I also need to run to the basement and lock the window again. You really should put a better lock on it." Abby grabbed the towel. She was in the hallway by the time she finished what she was saying. "Any old fool could pop that sucker and break in."

Gibbs leaned back and let the hot water soothe his aches. Abby was gone for less than five minutes. He opened his eyes again when he heard her footsteps coming up the stairs. She stepped into the bathroom with a bowl in one hand, a second towel and a wash cloth in the other.

Abby dropped the towel in front of the tub and dropped down to kneel on it. "We've got to wash your hair, Gibbs. There is a little blood dried in it."

Gibbs nodded and sat forward. Abby handed him the dry wash cloth to hold to the cut on his brow to keep it dry. She squirted a blob of shampoo in her hand and gently worked it through his hair, her fingers loosening the dried blood. When she was finished she turned on the tap and waited until the water was at a comfortable temperature. She filled the bowl with water and then and told him to tilt his head back; she used the fresh water to rinse his hair.

When she was done, Abby sat back on her heels and smiled.

"What?"

"It's just a different side of you Gibbs, a side I'm not sure I've ever seen before. Gentle Gibbs, a Gibbs who will let someone help him. It's sweet."

"Don't get used to it, Abbs."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Abby pushed herself up to her feet. "I'll go get your towel. Don't go anywhere." Abby went to retrieve the towel.

"Alright, let's get you out of there." Abby rested the warm towel on the toilet. She reached forward to support Gibbs as he struggled to his feet.

"Eyes, Abbs."

"Seriously, Gibbs, I should just drop you here. I said I won't look. Wait, is this part of the confusion? Do I need to bring you back to the hospital?"

Abby kept her eyes on his as she reached sideways for the towel. He used it to dry his chest and arms before tying it around his waist. Abby helped him to his bedroom and sat him on the edge of his bed. She went and dug around in his drawers until she found a pair of sweats, a t-shirt and pair of boxer briefs. She debated making a joke, but the fact that he had allowed her to dig around his drawers without a word hinted at the pain he was in.

Gibbs watched Abby look for clean clothes for him. He thought he would be embarrassed, but he decided that he didn't care. When she had found what she had looked for he watched her turn and walk back to him and drop to her knees in front of him. He had to admit, he'd seen her drop to her knees in front of him more than once in his fantasies. He gave her a questioning look.

Abby smiled and shook her head. "Chill Gibbs, you can pull them up yourself, I'm just helping you get your feet in. I don't think you can bed over so far." Abby's hands were warm on his ankles as she lifted first his left and then his right leg, to slide his boxers and his sweats on. She pulled them up to his knees and then stood and grabbed the t-shirt. "Arms up."

Abby was careful in putting his shirt on. She tried to pick one with the largest neck opening. "Alright, up we go." Abby helped him to his feet.

Gibbs groan as his sides protested. Abby stepped around and turned her focus to his bed, pulling back the covers and fluffing his pillow while he removed his towel and pulled up his clothing.

Abby helped him lay down. His head hurt a little less when he rested back on his pillow. He had to admit, the bath had been a good idea. He still hurt, but he felt a little less up-tight over the incident. Abby tucked the blanket gently around him and then picked up the wet down from the end of the bed. "I'll be right back." She flipped off the light.

After hanging up the towel, Abby headed back downstairs to turn off the lights and get the bottle of pain pills and a bottle of water. She was quite as she ascended the stairs; sure that Gibbs was already asleep. Abby tip-toed into his room, and set the pain pills and bottle of water on the bedside table on the far side of the room, away from where Gibbs was laying. Abby lowered herself gently to the bed, careful not to disturb Gibbs. She lay on her side, watching him.

After a few moments of silence Gibbs turned his head to look at her. "What are you doing?"

"Watching you, making sure you're still breathing. The doctor said I should keep an eye on you."

"I'm fine, Abbs. Get some sleep."

Abby waited for Gibbs to look away, but he didn't. "Sleep, Abby."

"Alright." Abby rolled over to face away from him. There was no way she was going to fall asleep. She concentrated on slow rhythmic breathing.

Thirty minutes later, Gibbs broke the silence. "I said, sleep Abby."

"How did you know?"

"I can hear you thinking. And you're breathing is too controlled."

Abby rolled back over to face him, he wasn't looking at her. His eyes were still closed and he was facing the ceiling. "That's pretty impressive, but I'm not going to sleep."

"If you don't sleep now, you won't be able to 'watch' me tomorrow when I'm awake. What if I get dizzy or something?"

"I'll still be awake. I can load up on Caf-Pow, or call Ducky to come watch you if I can't stay awake."

"Abby, sleep. Please. For me." He finally opened his eyes and looked over at her.

"Ok." Abby nodded. "You can have another pain pill in four hours. Wake me when you need one, ok?"

"I will. And Abby?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. For everything."

"Welcome." Abby smiled softly and then rolled to face away from him again. Although she didn't want to admit it, she was exhausted. She finally allowed herself to drift off.

Gibbs woke a few hours later, his body angry with pain. He struggled to sit, swallowing a groan to keep from waking Abby. He leaned over her to reach for the bottle of water and pain pills. He settled down again and rolled on to his left side to face Abby. It didn't hurt so much to lay on his left, when he had been on the floor he had been on his left, so his right side had taken most of the blows. He reached out until he felt Abby's warm body below his fingers. She shifted slightly, but didn't wake. Gibbs tried to scoot closer, but couldn't. He tried to pull Abby back towards him, but he didn't have the power to.

"Abby?" He ran his fingers up and down her bare arm and she stirred slightly. "Scoot back."

"Hmm?" Abby wasn't fully awake, the gentleness of his fingers on her arm keeping her reassured.

"Scoot backwards."

Abby did as she was told, stopping an inch from Gibbs, subconsciously not wanting to touch him and hurt him further. Gibbs kept stroking her arm until he was sure she was asleep again. He wrapped his arm around her waist, his hand resting on her stomach, and pulled her back against him. He paused at the pain he felt as his bruises came in contact with her body, but shortly the pain faded and her body heat soothed the aches he felt.

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Ok, I lied… there will be one more part, not just two like I thought. I have decide if it will be the next morning or a week later when he's feeling a bit better. Any ideas?


	3. Chapter 3

Abby woke slowly, her dream slowly fading into the background as she became more and more aware of her surroundings. She felt warm, not feverish, but like she was wrapped in a comforting heat. Her eyes fluttered open when she felt Gibbs' fingers twitch against her stomach. She felt his steady breath on the back of her neck and she realized that the warmth was his body pressed up against hers. Any other day her first thought would've been that she was dreaming but she quickly remembered lying down beside him the night before. Her second thought would've been to roll over in his arms and cling to him with all that she had. She would wake him and tell him how scared she had been, scared that she had lost him before she could tell him, no show him, how much she loved him, but she couldn't. The sight of his black and blue torso as he sat in the bath had etched itself into her brain. _God, he had to be in such pain._

Abby was careful as not to wake Gibbs as she slid out of his grasp. She padded barefoot to the bathroom to relieve herself and then made her way downstairs for a glass of water. She grabbed her purse and dug for her cell phone. She checked for any messages from the team, but found none. They would call later, she was sure. She was about to push her purse aside and head back upstairs when something caught her eye. Abby pulled out her compact out of her purse and turned it over a few times in her hand. She abandoned the glass of water and headed back up the stairs.

In his sleep Gibbs had moved back onto his back. She had felt Abby moving around him, but had drifted off again before he had the chance to open his eyes. Now he felt something tickling just above his upper lip. His eyes flickered open.

"Abby?"

Abby gasped and jerked her hand away.

"What are you doing?" Gibbs struggled to lift his head to look at her.

"I uh… I saw this in a movie once and thought I'd try it. You know, make sure you were still breathing. It really works Gibbs, the mirror was fogging up!"

Abby pushed the compact on to the bedside table and then looked back at him.

"How are you feeling? Does your head hurt?"

"A bit of a headache, but I woke up and took a pill a few hours ago. It's not too bad. Nothing worse than what I get on a daily basis working with DiNozzo, I'll be fine."

"You ready to go downstairs, have a little breakfast? Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, I'd like that Abbs." Gibbs pulled back the covers from his legs and with a little help sat up on the edge of the bed. He stood but immediately regretted the decision and he wavered before Abby helped him to sit again.

"Slow down Gibbs, it isn't a race. If it was, I'd already have won anyways. Now let's take this slow. I'll help you to the bathroom, and you can do your thing." Abby couldn't help but giggle at the look on his face. "Don't worry, I'll step out."

Gibbs struggled to his feet again and let Abby steady him for a moment before they stepped towards the bathroom.

On their way down the stairs towards the kitchen, Abby steadied him with her hands supporting him by grasping his elbow. "You know Gibbs, I'm gaining massive upper body strength here. It's been like 12 hours and my biceps are getting _huge_. Feel!"

Abby flexed her arm and looked at Gibbs expectantly.

"Nice, Abbs."

"No, feel it. I'm getting buff."

Gibbs looked her over. She was far from buff, but she did have decent muscle tone. Abby appreciated his look but didn't say anything, she just urged him down another step, and then another, until they stood at the bottom of the steps.

As Abby helped him to a chair, they heard a soft knock at the door. "Here Gibbs, have a seat. I'll see who it is."

Abby opened the door to see Ducky. "Ducky! Come in, Gibbs is at the table."

"Good morning, Abigail. How is our patient this morning?"

"He's good, hasn't been up long. Still has a headache, but the meds the doctors sent home with him seem to help a lot…." Abby followed behind Ducky, giving every little detail she could think of.

"Ah, Jethro, I'd ask you how you're feeling, but I do believe I've gotten all relevant information from nurse Abby." Ducky sat opposite Gibbs at the table, and smiled affectionately at Abby.

"Ducky, are you staying for breakfast?"

"Oh no, my dear, this is just a brief visit. I've got to take mother to a doctor's appointment, but thought I'd come check in first."

Abby nodded her understanding and then turned to Gibbs. "What do you want for breakfast? I can make pancakes or waffles if you've got the mixings?"

"I have the stuff for pancakes, but Abby… its ok. A bowl of cereal is fine."

"It's no problem Gibbs, I mean, if you don't want pancakes then I'll pour you cereal, but it's not problem for me to make pancakes. Really, I swear"

Ducky leaned towards Gibbs and whispered. "Let the woman make you pancakes. She's trying so hard…"

Gibbs looked back to Abby. "Alright, pancakes it is."

Abby spun around and began her search through his kitchen for everything she needed. Gibbs and Ducky chatted quietly while Abby busied herself. She wasn't a graceful event, and the two men couldn't help but stifle a laugh when Abby wiped pancake mix across her face in an attempt to brush a hair out of her eyes.

"You sure you don't want a stack, Ducky?"

Ducky got up and peeked at her work. He smiled. "No thank you, but remind me to let you take care of me next time I'm feeling under the weather."

Ducky promised to check in later and excused himself.

Abby pulled out two plates and put a stack of pancakes on each one. "What do you want to drink? I've just put the coffee on so it'll take a few minutes. Would you like a glass of water, or…" Abby opened the refrigerator and looked in, but found nothing to drink. "…water."

Abby placed two glasses of water on the table, and then balanced the plates of pancakes and the syrup in her arms and set those down as well.

Gibbs looked at the pancakes and gave a lop-sided grin. "Mickey Mouse?"

"Pancakes just taste better when they are made in a shape. Everyone knows that."

"Thank you Abby." Gibbs reached out and placed his hand over Abby's.

"I think I've heard you say 'thank you' more in the last 14 hours then I've heard in the past, well, as long as I've known you."

"But I mean it."

"I know."

The finished their breakfast in a pleasant silence. Abby cleared their plates and stood washing in the sink when she heard a noise behind her. "Gibbs! Sit back down."

"I'm getting coffee."

"I'll bring it to you, go sit."

"I need to stand for awhile."

"You need rest."

"I need to stretch my legs a bit." Gibbs said; his voice full of authority.

Abby frowned. "No, you need to rest. You've been through a lot."

"Abby." His voice softened. "I know it scared you, coming here to witness last night, and I hurt, I do, but I'm ok."

"Scared? Gibbs, I nearly went out of my mind seeing you on the floor. I whacked someone over the head with a pipe. I was ready to kill him, I sort of wish I had."

"No you don't."

"I do. He almost killed you. If that had happened…" Abby couldn't finish the sentence, so she walked away, heading to the living room.

Gibbs poured himself a cup of coffee and went back to the table to flip through the newspaper. He knew Abby needed some time to work with her thoughts. She would come back to him when she was ready to talk.

Abby flipped channels for an hour before she was ready. "Hey."

He looked up at her over the news paper. "Hey." He finished the article he was reading and when she didn't say anything, he broke the silence. "You didn't tell me how exactly you got in last night…?"

Abby's eyes lit up. "Well, first I had to look in and see what was going on, but I couldn't reach the window, so I pulled the spare tire out of your trunk to stand on. When I saw that guy standing over you, I called Tony, and then went around back to try and get in, but the door was locked. So then…" Abby gave every little detail of jiggling the window and climbing in. She told him about the array of tools she had chosen and why.

"That's my girl, always prepared." Gibbs wished he had been a little more aware and had seen Abby with tools in each of her pockets. "Though, you know I have to say it, you should've waited for Tony, let them take over."

"I know, I know. Tony already gave me the lecture, but he said it would take then 15 minutes to get here. You didn't have 15 minutes. You wouldn't have waited."

"No, I wouldn't have. But Abby, I'm a trained agent. You aren't."

"No, I'm not. I'm a woman and I'm a scientist. Both can be just as dangerous as a trained agent, and the combination of the two can be deadly."

Gibbs thought back to his ex-wives and sighed. She was right; women could be just as dangerous as an agent with a gun.

The rest of their day went by fairly easy. Abby forced him back into another bath with Epsom salts. He put up a protest, saying he didn't need the soak, but it was mostly for show. Later on DiNozzo and the rest of the team stopped by to check in and let them know that Donny had regained consciousness. He was transferred to a prison hospital where he would stay until the trial in a few weeks. They ordered pizza and hung out, as a group of friends, rather than co-workers.

It was nine at night when Abby finally kicked everyone out, saying that Gibbs needed rest, that he had a headache and needed to sleep. The team filed out, one by one, until Abby had shut and locked the door behind them.

Abby got Gibbs upstairs and helped him get ready for bed. "Shirt off." Abby held up a small container of something, but Gibbs couldn't see what it was.

"What is that?"

"Arnica gel, it's made from the arnica plant and is used as an anti-inflammatory for bruises, muscle aches and stiffness." Abby started to lift his shirt.

"I don't need it."

"Don't be so close-minded, Gibbs. What can it hurt? Even if you don't believe in natural medicine, can't you just try it? I made it myself."

Gibbs sighed and worked with her to get his shirt off. Abby frowned at the sight of the bruises. "I'll be gentle, I promise."

Gibbs watched as Abby chewed nervously on her lower lip. Her fingers were light and gentle as she spread the cool gel over each bruise. A few spots were more painful than others, but Gibbs was good at hiding his emotions and he didn't want Abby to think that she had hurt him. He thought she was cute, her brow furrowed, a look of intense concentration on her face.

Abby finished with the bruises on his chest and torso and moved towards the bruise along the right side of his jaw. Her eyes flicked up to his to look for any sign of protest. Seeing none she focused back on the bruise. When she finished, she leaned forward and kissed his left cheek, in a spot free from bruising. Abby sat back up and put the lid back on the container. Gibbs watched until he saw her start to get up

"Where are you going?"

"After lugging your gimpy ass around all day, I need a shower." Her words were humorous, but her voice was soft.

"You'll be back?"

"You even have to ask?" Abby picked up her bag and headed for the bathroom. She took her time in the shower, letting the hot water rain down on her back easing the tension that had built up. When she finished, she dressed and towel dried her hair. Abby walked back into Gibbs room, his eyes were closed and she assumed he was asleep. She got to the side of the bed she had been sleeping, the compact catching here eye.

"Don't even think about it."

"Jesus, Gibbs. You scared me. I thought you were asleep."

"Well yeah, Abbs, that was the general idea. Quit playing around."

"Ouch." Abby picked up the compact and put it in her bag, making sure that he saw. "You have a headache, need a pain pill?"

Gibbs shook his head; he had taken one before he lay down. "Here" Gibbs patted the spot beside him on the bed. "Lay with me, Abby."

Abby climbed onto the bed, but kept distance between them. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to hurt you, and I know that if I lay beside you I'll want to wrap my arms around you. I won't be able to do it gently. I don't want to hurt you."

He knew she was right. If she was to hug him, he wasn't sure if he could hold back a show of pain. "Roll over then, let me hold you. Like last night."

"But won't that hurt you?"

"No. Abby, I need to have you in my arms. I need you."

Abby rolled over, her back towards Gibbs.

"Scoot closer to me."

Abby moved as instructed. She felt Gibbs fingers at the back of her shirt, lifting it slowly. Gibbs could sense that she was wondering what he was doing. "The heat from your skin, Abbs, it feels good."

Abby sat up, facing away from him and slid her shirt off, dropping it to the floor. She lay back down and moved close to Gibbs again. She shivered as he ran a finger down the dip of her spine. Abby let out a fatigued sigh as one of Gibbs arms wrapped around her waist, drawing her back against him, his other arm sliding under her neck. He inhaled deeply as her body pressed back against his, the bruises screamed protest, but just as the night before, her body heat soon soothed the pain away.

Abby clenched her fists, she wanted nothing more than to turn and grab on to him and never let go. If she had decided to stay home and mope over him not showing up, if she had assumed he had forgotten, he would've been dead.


	4. Chapter 4

Wow, I've gotten some crazy cool reviews so far… I'm thinking that people are feeling a little tortured with the half _nekkid_ Abby in Gibbs' bed, yet he's too injured to do anything. Your reviews make me laugh, smile, want to drag it out even more… anyway, here is another chapter. Enjoy and click the little review button at the bottom of the page. It keeps my fingers flyin' on the keyboard.

It's a tad shorter than the other chapters, but I didn't want to rush and put everything in one large chapter.

p.s. Still rated for just about everybody…

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Abby was rudely woken by the sound of her cell phone ringing on the bedside table. Gibbs' arm was tucked firmly around her, his face nestled against her back. Abby groaned and reached to pick up the phone. Through heavy lashes she saw that it was nearly seven on Sunday morning. "Hello?" She whispered, hoping the ringtone hadn't woken Gibbs.

The harsh tone of Abby's cell phone pulled Gibbs into consciousness. He kissed the soft skin beneath his lips, and nuzzled against the back of her neck as she whispered a tired 'hello' into her phone. He listened to her speak for a few minutes, not focusing on the words but rather on the raspy sound of her voice, first thing in the morning. Eventually she hung up and placed the phone back on the bedside table with a sigh.

Abby was quiet for a moment, enjoying the feel of Gibbs breath on her neck. "I have to go in today. Ducky pulled some suspicious substances off the body from one of Brent's cases. It's urgent and they can't find a stand in for me." She had been tempted to call back and say she couldn't come in.

"I'll come with you."

Abby shifted slightly to look over her shoulder at him, and gave him a stern look. "You'll do no such thing. You can hardly limp around here on your own. I'm not going to carry you around my lab. It'll take twice as long for me to finish, and you know as well as I do that if you are at your desk, they'll send you home faster than you can threaten them. But if I think I'm going to be in the lab long, I'll send Ducky over to keep you company."

Gibbs rolled gently to his back and watched as Abby sat on the edge of the bed, her back to him. He looked at the pallor of her skin, it contrasted greatly against the black ink of her tattoos; it was beautiful. She stretched, her movements were like those of a cat, he thought. Then she reached down to pick her shirt off the floor. Before she slipped it over head, Abby looked back over her shoulder with a mysterious grin. "Eyes, Gibbs" Abby pointed to her eyes. "Up here. No peeking."

Gibbs chuckled softly remembering his constant warnings as she had helped him in the bath. Abby pulled her shirt down over her head and rolled her eyes at his response. "Wouldn't dream of it, Abbs."

"Right." Abby winked at Gibbs playfully as she grabbed a change of clothes and headed for the bathroom. "Don't forget to soak in the tub today. You can read on the container of the Epsom salts on how much to put in. Arnica gel is on the counter besides the sink. Call if you need anything." Abby shouted from the stairwell.

Abby ended up staying in the lab well past mid-night. Brent's team had caught one hot lead after another, and the evidence began to pile up, especially with no one to process it the past few days. Tony took over Gibbs' role and delivered a Caf-Pow to encourage her hard work every chance he got.

She pulled up to Gibbs place and sat momentarily in her car looking at his house. The last time she had driven up she had been irritated that he might have stood her up, forgotten about their dinner date. She remembered the sight of Donny kicking him, punching him; the thought made her momentarily sick to her stomach. She reminded herself that he was fine, still bruised, but they would fade and disappear all together. He didn't really need to be cared for anymore, but she couldn't help it. He had always been there for her, and now she was returning the favor.

She walked slowly up to the front door. She let her mind wander to the night before. She had never before felt so much tension between them than when she was touching him, gently rubbing the arnica gel into his skin. She wasn't sure if it was because he felt vulnerable, or if it was sexual tension. She had bent forward in and kissed him on the cheek. She had contemplated touching her lips to his, but she wasn't sure how he'd react. There had always been flirting, but always in a playful way, in the safety of her lab or in the squad room. She figured the cheek would be safer, just in case. But then, that night when she had lay down beside him, he had asked her to remove her shirt. She knew he would get just as much body heat from her through her silk top, but she had to admit, the skin-to-skin contact was comforting, even to her. But it was the way he had first run his fingers down her spine that gave her hope for more.

Gibbs lay in bed waiting for Abby, and he found he couldn't sleep. She had called at nine to tell him that she would be working late, and not to wait up for her. He was in bed, looking up at the ceiling. The past few nights he had had problems falling asleep, but tonight it was different. For the first time it wasn't the pain that kept him away, it was the fact that Abby was missing. He stretched his arm out to where she would lay beside him and listened for the sounder of her key in the door.

She jiggled the handle of the front door to find it locked. She was satisfied that he had locked the door again after Ducky had left, he usually didn't lock the door, but Abby had asked him to and he had complied. She had sent Ducky with dinner and for a check-up around five. Abby unlocked the door and stepped side, being sure to lock up again behind her. The house was dark, with the exception of a small light left on in the living room so she could see when she got in. Abby made her way upstairs. She looked in on Gibbs. Satisfied he was ok, she went to shower and then changed into her silk PJs in the bathroom. After she finished getting ready for bed she tip-toed quietly into Gibbs room, he lay asleep on his back, one of his arms outstretched over her spot on the bed.

_Humph, 'my spot'. Way to get ahead of yourself, Abbs_. Abby chided herself. She pulled the covers back and sat down. She lowered herself gently over Gibbs arm, facing away from him to keep from reaching out to touch him. She smiled to herself when Gibbs rolled towards her in his sleep.

"Shirt, Abbs."

Abby battled a giggle and pulled her shirt up and off. "You know, I'm starting to think you're using your injuries to get me to take my shirt off… and not for medical or pain relieving reasons."

"It works, doesn't it?"

"What can I say, I'm weak." Abby settled herself back against his chest and shivered when his lips connected with the soft skin of her shoulder. "Gibbs, that's not fair."

She could feel his lips curve into a smile. "So do something about it."

"No. Not until you are healed up." Abby absentmindedly ran her fingers along the arm he had draped over her waist. "And then…"

Gibbs tightened his arm around her waist. "Come on, I thought you just said you were weak." He teased

"I am."Abby nearly crumbled, but regained her composure. "But I've got patience that runs for days." She added with resolve.

"No you don't, you are one of the most impatient people I know." Gibbs brushed the hair away from the base of her neck.

"I know, and I'm really struggling right now, but Gibbs, you are hurt. I refuse to hurt you further."

"I appreciate that. I am starting to feel better. Ducky took the strips off the cut on my brow during his visit today." Gibbs settled his face against the back of her neck. "You're right. I hurt. But because of you I'm getting better, and Abbs, I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here."

Abby didn't say anything. She wasn't sure what to say. There were so many different ways she could interpret what he had said, so instead she grasped at his arm around her.

"Abby?"

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Good."

The rest of the week progressed in the same manner. Abby spent the day, usually late into the evening in the lab, catching up on the rapidly accumulating evidence. Gibbs' team had been assigned to work the case with Brent and his team while Gibbs was home recovering. Abby spent her lunch break talking with him on the phone; she found it easier to talk through her findings with him, even if it wasn't one of his cases. He would always show her a different perspective to look at things, and that helped her. In the early evening she would send either Ducky or Tony to his house with dinner since she wasn't able to get away from her lab. He would wait up for her, and they would curl up together in his bed, chatting quietly until they drifted off to sleep. Each night she would snuggle up to him, her bare skin against his. It had started because, as if by magic, her body heat was the most powerful against the ache of his injuries, but as the week wore on and the aches dulled, he couldn't give up the feel of her soft skin against his.

Abby saw the color of the bruises turn from black and blue, to a greenish brown over the course of the week. She hadn't seen him up and about much, he was always in bed by the time she had returned to his place, but according to Ducky he was moving easier, and she noticed that he seemed to be holding her a little tighter to his chest at night towards the end of the week.

Abby was up early on Saturday. Her body was used to waking early to get to the lab to get started on the day. She was happy that the case had been closed; it meant she had the weekend to share with Gibbs. Gibb's arm was draped over her like usual, his fingers curved over the natural curvature of her bare stomach under the blankets they were under. Her back was flush with his chest and stomach, and she could feel every breath he took. It was something she had grown accustom to over the past several evenings.

She drinking a cup of coffee and scanning the newspaper for interesting headlines when she heard Gibbs making his way down the stairs.

"Hey you, look at you up on your feet all by yourself."

"I have been for the past few days."

Abby got up to pour him a cup of coffee. "I know, Ducky told me. I guess I just haven't been around during the day to see you up. It's good to see with my own eyes though."

"It's seven thirty on a Saturday morning. Why are you already dressed for the day?" Gibbs took the hot coffee gratefully, and picked an orange out of the fruit basket Abby had set out in the attempt to get him to eat better.

"I need to go home, Gibbs."

Gibbs frowned. "But you said you weren't going anywhere."

"I need some clean clothes."

"You can wash your clothes here, Abby."

"I'm not going to wear the same five out-fits over and over again. A girl needs choices, you know." Abby looked at him as thought it was obvious. "Plus, I've got some plants to water."

"But you'll come back?" Gibbs sounded hopeful. He wasn't ready to give up their co-habitation.

"A little paranoid, are we Gibbs? But sure, I'll come back if you want me too."

"Come back." He pulled off a section of orange and offered it to Abby; she smiled and took it.

"Alright, well I'll be back later this afternoon then. I'll stop by the grocery store. Have any requests? I've got a few other errands to run as well, have anything that needs to go to the post office?" Abby folded up the newspaper and pushed it across the table for Gibbs.

"Nah. Hurry back. I feel like I haven't seen you in a while."

Abby swallowed the rest of her coffee, put the mug in the sink and then headed out. "Back later, Gibbs." Gibbs waited until he heard her hearse pull away before he picked up the phone. "Sorry to call so early, but I was wondering if you could do me a favor…"

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_TBC…_

_::review::review::review::_


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks bunches for all the comments/reviews/encouragement… It means a lot, is extremely motivating. Anyway, here is part five…. Enjoy.

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Abby moved easily around her apartment. She switched on some music before tossing a load of laundry into the wash. She wasn't sure how much longer she'd stay at Gibbs' place, so she packed enough for the following week. She opened the windows to air out the place and ran the vacuum over the floor. She spoke lovingly as she watered the plants she had in the kitchen window, she believed that everything either worked better, lived longer or both, with a little love. It was a belief that she went by when it came to everything in life; including the flowers in her kitchen window, the machines in her lab, and Gibbs.

When she was finished she closed up the windows and switched off the lights. She gathered what she needed and carried it out to the hearse. Her first stop was the post office; she had a few bills and letters to post. Her next stop was the grocery store. Gibbs' kitchen was running on the empty side, not that he was complaining, he preferred to order in anyway, he said it was easier to clean up that way. Well, not as long as she was staying there. Abby enjoyed cooking; to her it was a science. A little of this and a little of that… It was like running a test in the mass-spectrometer. The only difference was that her results were edible, well, most of the time.

Her last stop was to pick up a Caf-Pow. The effects of the caffeine from her morning cup of coffee had long since faded, and she needed a little boost.

She arrived back at Gibbs place just after three in the afternoon. She let herself in and didn't see him anywhere. She carried the groceries to the kitchen, and then headed back to the car for her bag that was packed with clothes. Back inside, Abby set to putting the groceries away before going in search of Gibbs. Her first thought was to check upstairs, maybe he had decided on an afternoon nap. When she didn't find him upstairs, a small smile tugged at her lips. There was only one other place he'd be. She skipped down the steps and made her way to the basement door. She opened it a few inches, saw that the light was on, and opened the door all the way.

Abby was quiet as she headed down the steps. She avoided the steps the creaked out of habit rather than necessity.

Gibbs stood beside the frame of his boat, sandpaper in hand.

"Hey look at you, down with your boat and in regular people clothes. I haven't seen you in anything but sweatpants and an old t-shirt in ages, I mean, not that there is anything wrong with that. You were injured." Abby stepped off the bottom step. She looked up at the window where she had climbed in, and then made her way towards the boat. "You know, I bet she's missed you. She isn't used to being so ignored. I hope you've explained that you were injured and it wasn't by choice you've left here down here, in the dark, all alone. A girl doesn't like to be alone, Gibbs." Abby circled the boat, running her hand along the frame until she stood beside Gibbs.

Gibbs laughed quietly. "She isn't one of your machines in the lab, Abby. We don't chit-chat."

Abby feigned insult and leaned to rest her cheek on the boat. "Shh, Gibbs. You'll hurt her feelings. You should say you're sorry and you didn't mean it. You _have_ had a lot of practice in apologizing lately."

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "You're impossible, you know that?"

Abby didn't answer, she just nodded.

Gibbs stepped back a foot from the boat frame and motioned for Abby to step in. "Here, I could use some help."

"Yes, sir." Abby stepped between Gibbs and the boat and took the sandpaper he handed her. Gibbs wrapped one arm around her waist and with his other hand he covered her hand that was holding the sand paper. He helped her to move the sandpaper along the wood in even movements. Abby found her rhythm and kept going when Gibbs dropped his hand from hers. His hand dropped to her hip, and he watched over her shoulder as she worked.

Abby tried but failed miserably to keep from smiling at the feel of his breath on her neck. She bit her lip and put all of her focus on the task at hand, but it hardly helped. When she felt his lips on the side of her neck she closed her eyes and counted to three to keep her composure.

"You going to ask me to take my shirt off next?"

Gibbs laughed. The thought had crossed his mind, more than once. But no, he wasn't going to ask her to do that. Not yet. "No." His second kiss to the side of her neck was hasty. "I'm going to take a shower. You can keep sanding. Like you said, she doesn't want to be alone."

Abby was speechless as he headed up the stairs. She sanded a bit longer and then headed upstairs. She was grabbing juice from the refrigerator when Gibbs came back downstairs. He was freshly showered, dressed in grey slacks and blue polo shirt.

"You're an ass, you know that?" Abby laughed, referring to his actions downstairs.

"So I've been told, a few times. Go get ready. We've got dinner plans."

"It's, like, four in the afternoon."

"I know, but by the time you shower and get ready and then add in driving time... Just go get ready."

Abby's curiosity was sparked. "Where are we going?"

"I believed I missed your birthday dinner. If I remember correctly, it had something to do with playing cops and robbers with some guy."

"Rude of you not to invite me to the game, can't believe I had to break in and join uninvited. But that didn't answer my question, where are we going?"

Gibbs stepped round the table and kissed Abby on the cheek as if they were in the lab. "Go."

Abby had more questions to ask, but knew she'd get no answer. When Gibbs made up his mind on something she knew she'd have an easier time getting McGee to tattoo her name on his forehead than getting Gibbs to give an answer; no matter how much she pouted.

Abby grabbed the bag of clean clothes she had brought earlier and headed upstairs. She pulled out an outfit similar to the one she had chosen for their dinner before all the drama that was Donny Smith. A pair of dark wash jeans, black heels, and rather than the red shirt she had chosen before, this time she went for a dark purple blouse. She set her clothes out and then stepped into the hot spray of the shower.

When she was finished she changed into the outfit she had set out. She dried her hair and pulled it into a high ponytail. Her hair was getting long and although it was pulled up, it still fell to touch the back of her neck. She ran a comb through her bangs and then did her make-up. Abby carried her heels down stairs to tell Gibbs she was ready. He went to grab their jackets as Abby used the back of a chair to steady herself and stepped into her heels.

"So Gibbs…" Abby started casually. "Where we going?"

"Out to the car." Gibbs nodded towards the door. Abby went for her purse which lay on the kitchen counter where she had left it after carrying in the groceries. Gibbs held the door open for her, locking it once they were outside.

"A man of many words you are, Gibbs. A man of many words."

Gibbs ignored her comment and walked to the car, Abby following behind him. He reached the passenger side door and opened it for her. "You look nice, Abbs."

Abby eyed him up and down and then nodded. "So do you, Boss."

Fifteen minutes into the car ride Abby started to get restless. "Are we almost there yet?"

"Nope."

"Gibbs…" Abby whined. "You still haven't fixed the radio, you refuse to tell me where we're going, and you're still a little bruised so I feel bad playing punch-buggy with you…"

"Colonial Beach."

"Huh?"

"Where we're going. We're headed to colonial beach."

"That's like another hour from here."

"I told you it'd be dinner time by the time we arrive."

Abby was quiet for a few minutes. "I've never been to colonial beach. What's it like?"

Gibbs laughed at her insistence. "I just told you where we're going, so shouldn't that keep your mind busy for the next fifteen, maybe twenty minutes?" He needed the silence. There were a million things on his mind, a million things he needed to tell her. He couldn't converse with her and organize his thoughts at the same time.

Abby inhaled deeply and exhaled through her nose.

"You ok Abby?"

Abby looked over at Gibbs and smiled. She took the opportunity to rest her hand on his thigh. She didn't place her hand too high, yet it wasn't on his knee either. "Yeah, I'm just focusing my thoughts… silently."

Gibbs smiled inwardly at the touch of her hand. It was comfortable, like it was something she had always done. They drove on in silence.

The thoughts Gibbs had in his mind eased a bit. Abby's presence was comforting, and somehow he knew everything would work out for the best. But still, he was nervous. He wasn't sure for what, but he was fairly certain that this was the furthest he had gone for any woman and he was more than certain this was the most he had ever let a woman take care of him. He wanted, no he needed, to make sure Abby knew exactly how he felt. Not just that he loved her, he was fairly certain that she already knew that, although to what extent, he wasn't sure. He needed her to know how much she has had an effect on his life, not just the past week, but ever since he had met her. He wanted her to know that when he looked at her he saw life, and love and happiness; that the sound of her voice made his heart flutter; that the touch of her skin warmed him in a way he never thought possible. He just wanted her to _know_.

He knew he could never say these things, even if he could, he knew it would never come out right. Abby was right, he wasn't exactly a man of many words. His father was also right; he didn't like a lot of words when just a few would do.

The drive along US Route 301 was beautiful. Eventually Abby pulled her hand away from Gibbs thigh to shift slightly towards the window. The landscape changed from open fields to massive oak forests. Eventually they crossed over the Potomac River, crossing the Governor Harry W. Nice memorial bridge. Gibbs paid the toll and then continued along Virginia State Route 218.

"We almost there?"

Gibbs took his eyes off the road for a moment to look over at her. He was surprised she had been able to remain quiet for so long. "We're there in about ten minutes."

Abby nodded and turn back to look out the window.

Gibbs reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. "You getting hungry?"

"Uh huh. I just grabbed a small cheese-burger at a fast-food joint between my errands today."

Gibbs flicked at her ear playfully. "You had fast food while I was home stuck making a sandwich on stale bread?"

Abby grinned. "You could've come along."

"I didn't know that was an option."

"You could've asked. But anyway, you've got groceries now. You can fix a sandwich on fresh bread tomorrow."

"You'll fix it for me?"

"If you ask nicely, and if there is a 'please' involved, I might consider doing you the favor."

"A please, huh? I might have to make the sandwich myself."

"What if I promise not to tell Tony?"

"I might be persuaded."

"Whoa." Abby shifted in her seat so that her body was directed towards Gibbs and raised her hands, her palms towards him. "Why am I persuading you to ask me to make you a sandwich? You sneaky bastard, make your own damn sandwich. No wonder people confess their crimes to you."

Gibbs laughed. He had to admit that he had turned that conversation around nicely.

"Sneaky."

The oak forests and the country fields faded away as they drove into town. Gibbs navigated the small town streets until he found the street that would take him to their destination. He parked outside 'Mama's Home Cooking'. It was a small country café on Monroe Bay, a few blocks from the Potomac River. It was a family run café, run by an old Marine buddy of his, Greg, and his wife. They had taken over the daily operations of the place after Greg had retired from the Marines. When he parked, Gibbs gave Abby a look and she knew better than to open the car door herself, she waited patiently for him to walk around and open the door for her.

Gibbs held out his hand, and she took it. When she stepped out of the car Gibbs held on to her hand, and reach around her to shut the door. When they got to the door Gibbs dropped her hand to open the door, and guided her through with a hand at her lower back.

"Jethro!" Greg greeted when he caught sight of his old friend. The two men shook hands and pulled each other into a half-embrace. "How you been? It's been quite some time."

"I'm doing well. Greg, this is Abby. Abby, this is Greg. He's an old Marine."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Abby." Greg turned back to Gibbs. "I've got your table set up around the corner, a table by the window. Follow me."

Gibbs motioned for Abby to follow first. Abby admired the place as they wove through the tables. It wasn't a big place, but it had been expanded from the original small shop into the shop next door. The decorations were charming, old-fashioned and picturesque. Old family heirlooms lined the walls. It wasn't crowded, but more than half the tables were full. People chattered softly over their meals.

Abby stepped around the corner after Greg and then stopped in her tracks. She brought her hand up to cover her mouth. "Oh, _Gibbs_…"

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Raise your hand if you thought they were gonna _'do it'_ by the boat?? *Raises hand*

::review::review::review::


	6. Chapter 6

You guys super spoil me with the reviews, I do love them so… Hope you enjoy this as much as I did writing it : )

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"_Oh, Gibbs…"_

Abby was at a loss as for how to describe the way she felt. Tucked into the back corner, next to a window looking out over Monroe Bay, was a small table set for two. The table was covered in a rich red table cloth, there were various brass candlesticks containing black candles and an old silver tankard with a mix of black roses and thistles, the spiky purple flowers bright against the dark petals of the roses and the rest of the table setting.

Rather than traditional rectangular place mats, there were two large circles cut from black lace. The silverware was rolled in a black cloth napkin and lay next to the long-stemmed wine glasses.

Abby started to turn to face Gibbs, but he had moved beside her. With his hand at the small of her back, he brought his lips to her ear. "Happy Birthday, Abbs."

She didn't notice Greg walking away.

She wanted to turn and wrap her arms around his neck. She wanted to jump into his arms. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to tell him how grateful she was for the effort he must have put in. She wanted to say and do so many things, but all she could do was stare at the table in front of her. Gibbs put a little pressure against her back and Abby took a tentative step forward towards the table. He stepped past her to pull out her chair, and helped her scoot forward once she was seated.

Her eyes tracked him as he moved around the table to his own chair. Her eyes flicked briefly to the waiter that had appeared to pour them each a glass of wine, but soon returned to Gibbs. She watched as he nodded his approval of the wine and then looked at her.

"You like?"

"Gibbs, this is…"

"Happy birthday, a week late." He smiled softly and lifted his wine glass.

Abby lifted her glass and touched the rim to his. "Thank you. This is amazing, really Gibbs. I'm shocked, I'd say I'm speechless, but I'm talking right now. How did you…?"

"I probably owe Greg for the rest of my life, but the look on your face, it's worth it." Abby felt a shiver run down her spine when he reached out and covered her hand with his own. Abby stumbled over what to say for a few minutes until the waiter returned carrying two plates.

"I ordered a head of time, so it would be ready when we arrived. Also, it's not on the menu, but Greg and his wife have cooked for me before and I figure if I'm going to owe them, I might as well owe them big."

The waiter placed a plate in front of each of them "Steak, new potatoes with caper sauce and grilled veggies."

Abby smiled appreciatively at the waiter. "Thank you."

The waiter left them to their meal.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, but Gibbs couldn't help notice that Abby still had a huge grin on her face. He pointed his fork at her. "What are you grinning at?"

"You. This. Everything."

"Enjoying your steak?"

"It's delicious, Gibbs." After a short while Abby was able to settle down and they were able to enjoy their meal like every other meal they had enjoyed together – with happy small talk, as though they hadn't seen each other for days. They spoke of work, surprisingly, as long as they weren't actually at work, it was an enjoyable topic to talk about since their mutual friends were also their co-workers.

"You look forward to getting back to work?"

"Yeah, I'm on desk duty all next week, but it'll be nice to get back. Even if I have to suffer through-"

"Gibbs! Are you saying you haven't enjoyed your time off spent with me?"

"You've spent 12-14 hours a day in the lab the past few days. I haven't seen you at all except for the 20 minutes we chat before falling asleep."

Abby's brow furrowed.

"I'm not complaining, it's the best 20 minutes of my day, Abbs. I'm just saying it'll be nice to get out of the house for long than it takes to get the mail from the mailbox."

"As long as that's cleared up, I guess it'll be nice to have you back at work. Tony lets my Caf-Pow get warm before he makes it down to deliver them."

"Tragic."

"Isn't it?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes.

"Roll your eyes all you want, but it's your problem. You're my enabler." Abby changed the subject. "How long do you think it'll take you to finish the boat?"

"I don't know, it depends on how much time I have to spend on it."

They chatted on about the boat and she pestered him with questions on his use of hand tools. Their conversation on hand tools was a dance that they danced often. She pretended she didn't understand the idea of working harder and longer for the same effect that power tools would give him. He didn't understand how she couldn't tell the difference. Eventually Abby would confess that she could indeed tell the difference, but that at least and electric sander would show no difference compared to sanding by hand. Gibbs said that there was a difference between the sanding as well. They would agree to disagree, and the conversation was saved for another day.

Abby settled back in her chair while the waiter cleared their plates. "I'll be out with dessert in a few minutes."

"Dessert?" Abby looked expectantly at Gibbs.

He smiled but shook his head, _no_. "I'm not telling you what it is."

Abby wrinkled her nose and then gave a little pout, but she didn't have to wait long. The waiter returned with a giant hot fudge sundae with a child's bat-shaped candle on the top and two spoons. Abby's eyes lit up, and she looked across the table at Gibbs.

"I'm not singing, Abbs."

Abby broke into a girlish giggle that ended in a sigh. "Oh, Gibbs, I wouldn't ask you to."

"Blow out the candle. You're melting the ice cream." Gibbs put his finger to the glass dish to prevent a drip of ice cream from rolling down the side. Abby took a deep breath and held it while she thought for a moment before blowing out the flame.

The waiter returned with a cup of coffee for Gibbs and large glass containing her favorite red drink.

"A Caf-Pow, too?" Abby clapped her hands together excitedly. "You know, Gibbs…" Abby brought a spoonful of ice cream to her lips. "Every year you've made my birthday dinner special in some way, but you've got a lot to live up to for next year. You may have out done yourself this time around." She teased.

"Well, I've got about a year to figure it out then, haven't I?"

"Mmhmm, you do. But you know, you didn't have to do all this for me."

"Sure, now you tell me." He made a little face at her before taking a scoop of ice cream.

"I'm serious, Gibbs."

"It's not just your birthday, you've spent the past week taking care of me. I could hardly move, I was cranky…" he smiled at the look she gave him. "Ok, crankier than usual."

"You were kind of gimpy, weren't you?"

"I'm serious, Abby. You spent your birthday making sure I didn't stop breathing or fall down the stairs. You should've been out with your friends, celebrating your birthday, having fun."

"But instead I spent my birthday with you, gimpy or not, there is no one I'd rather spend my birthday with than you. So it was no big deal."

"You were there for me when I really needed you, no questions asked. I can't even begin to thank you for what you've done for me." His tone fell slightly, and Abby shifted uncomfortably. She knew he wasn't used to relying on anyone but himself, and the fact that he had trusted her to help him with everything from a bath, to getting dressed, to walking down stairs, it spoke volumes to how much he cared about her.

Abby decided to lighten the mood the only way she knew how. "I peeked, Gibbs."

Gibbs brought his gaze up to meet hers, and he gave her a questioning look. Abby pointed at her eyes. "Eyes, Gibbs. I peeked."

Gibbs flushed momentarily when he understood what she meant. "Abby!"

"Oh come on, it's not like I'm right out of Sunday school. Not like I've never _seen_ anything before." Abby played it off nonchalantly.

"Oh Abby…" Gibbs rubbed his hand across his face in an attempt to hide his smile. "Eat your ice cream."

"Aye aye, sir." Abby used her spoon to salute Gibbs before focusing her attention back on the rapidly melting ice cream in front of her.

Gibbs helped her finish off the last of the ice cream. "That was so tasty, but now I'm stuffed." Abby patted her stomach.

"We've got a long car ride back, care to go for a walk on the docks in the marina first?" Gibbs pointed towards the docks through the window.

"I'd love to."

Gibbs scooted back his chair and held out his hand for Abby. She placed her hand in his and stood. They headed towards the door, but Gibbs stopped before they reached it. "You'll wait outside, I'm just going to say goodbye to Greg in the kitchen."

Abby nodded. "Tell him I said that everything was wonderful."

"I will." Gibbs waited until Abby pushed through the door before he headed through to the kitchen.

"How was everything, old friend?" Greg asked

"Everything was perfect, I can't thank you enough." Gibbs pulled out his check book. "How much do I owe you?"

"Don't worry about it, man."

"No, you went above and beyond. Tell me what I owe you."

"You know my wife is a sap. I'll be hearing about this for weeks, I might even get lucky. You don't owe me a dime."

"You let me know if you need anything, anything at all."

"That Abby, she seems to be a special lady."

"You have no idea." Gibbs thanked his friend once more and then went in search of Abby.

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_TBC… it ain't over yet.  
_Review Please! |

V


	7. Chapter 7

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Abby sat slightly perched on the hood of his car waiting, but when she saw him about to push through the door she shoved away from the car and met him half way. Without saying anything Abby wrapped her arms loosely around his neck and left a slight distance between their bodies. She hesitated and then asked, "Will this hurt you?"

"No."

With his confirmation that she wasn't going to hurt him, Abby hugged herself to him tightly. "Thank you, Gibbs, for everything."

"You're welcome." Gibbs held onto her firmly, only letting go when they had to move from in front of the café door to let other patrons enter.

"Come on." He took hold of her hand and led her down the street to where they could turn towards the docks. Abby clung to Gibbs hand, holding it in both of hers. They strolled along silently, admiring the boats moored along the docks.

Gibbs peered at a small wooden boat. "Such a shame." It was a mere whisper, a comment to himself, he was fairly certain Abby wasn't interested.

"What?"

Gibbs pointed out the start of wood rot. "Wood rot."

"It looks like they were sloppy with the epoxy. I hope you do a better job on your boat."

Gibbs looked at her curiously. "What do you know about wood rot and epoxy?"

"Epoxy… it's a chemical. What don't I know about it? It's a thermosetting epoxide polymer that cures…"

"Got it, Abbs." He should've known.

"And I know a thing or two about boats and wood rot… I've got a lot of free time between a lot of the tests that I run. The internet is a handy tool, you know? I might build my own boat one day, in my lab. With power tools."

"Power tools, huh?"

"Yeah, and I'll name it 'Labby' after my lab. It'll be a floating lab out on the ocean…"

Gibbs saw a familiar sparkle in her eye as the idea sparked an image in her mind. He just shook his head and urged her further down the docks.

When they reached the end of the docks Abby peered into the water. She gasped excitedly. "Look, you can see fish." Abby dropped Gibbs hand and steadied herself with a hand on his shoulder as she slipped her heels off. She sat on the edge of the dock and dangled her feet off, her toes didn't quite reach the water, but she didn't want to risk losing a shoe.

"Sit with me, Gibbs." Abby patted the planks of the dock beside her.

Gibbs lowered himself to sit, much to the protest of his knees.

As the sky slowly darkened, the lights along the dock slowly brightened behind them.

"You know, there is a place like this down in Louisiana, by where I grew up. My friends and I spent every day in the summer fishing. We used all sorts of random things for bait, marshmallows, cheetos, gummy worms… although we ate most of the gummy worms ourselves."

"Any of those work for catching fish?" Gibbs looked at her with his signature lop-sided grin.

"Of course! It was on a small lake that was kept so well-stocked with fish, you didn't really need bait. They practically jumped into your boat. They were _big_ fish, too." Abby exaggerated. "The marshmallows worked best, the cheetos got soggy real quick and didn't stay on the hook very long. The fish ate the cheetos, but you couldn't catch anything."

Gibbs thought for a moment before sharing, "I took Kelly fishing once, before I left. It was at a lake up in Stillwater."

Abby looked up from the water sharply, it was the first time Gibbs had ever offered any information about is family voluntarily. "Did you catch anything?" She reached for his hand and gave it a slight squeeze of encouragement.

He let out a soft chuckle as he remembered. "We did. The fish she caught was huge. We brought it to Jacks' and Shannon cooked it for dinner. I caught one as well, but it was about this big." He looked over at Abby and slid his hand out of hers to hold up his fingers. He showed that the fish he had caught was a mere four to five inches.

Abby couldn't contain her laugh. "I bet she really teased you about that."

"She did, for days."

Abby was still for a few moments. "Thanks..."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow.

"…for sharing that with me."

Gibbs wrapped his arm around Abby's shoulders and pulled her in against him. They sat quietly, watching a boat make its way towards the docks to tie up for the night.

"Thanks for everything, Gibbs."

"You already said that."

"I know, but I don't just mean dinner, I mean everything. You're always helping me when I need help, no matter what it is, what time it is or where I am, and I've called you from some pretty shady places. You also let me work through things alone when you know that's what I need. I appreciate that. I just want you to know that I appreciate everything you've done for me."

"I know."

Abby stretched her foot down until her big toe tipped into the cold water making the reflection of the mood dance on the small ripples she created with her toe

"You know," Abby nudged him gently in the side. "If you actually had planned ahead and built your boat elsewhere, somewhere with a boat sized exit, or had a real solution for getting it out of your basement, you could have boat here."

"I'll get it out… somehow. Then I'll take you sailing. We can come back here for dinner if you like?"

"I'd like that." Abby leaned into him again. "You sure this doesn't hurt you?"

"There are a few spots that are still tender, but you aren't hurting me."

"You'll tell me if I hurt you, in any way?" Her question was innocent, yet he knew it hinted at more than just her leaning against him while they sat on the dock.

"You can't hurt me, Abbs."

"But if I do..?"

"You won't." Gibbs pressed his lips to the side of her head. "Come on, you're getting chilled, it's getting late and we've got a long drive home."

Gibbs was first to stand and step back from the edge. He extended his hand to help Abby up, and waited as she slipped back into her heels. He turned to lead her back towards the car, but Abby didn't move.

"Abby?" He waited for her to turn and look at him. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah, I'm just…" She looked back out at the water.

"Just what?" Gibbs stepped back towards her. "Just what, Abbs?"

"This is the most perfect thing that anyone has ever done for me, I'm just remembering, that's all." Abby said with a shrug. "I really appreciate this, Gibbs."

Gibbs turned Abby slowly so that she was facing him completely. Their bodies were almost touching. With her heels, Abby was just an inch shorter than him, so he didn't have to tilt her chin much to get her to look at him. "You know why I did this, right? You know that I did this because I love you, don't you?"

Abby didn't have the words to respond as she stood looking at him. His blue eyes were full of love for her and she could feel it. A small smile tugged at her lips as she thought of something to say back to him, but she found it was easier, not to think, to just act. His face was only inches from hers, but she felt as though the time it took for her to reach his lips was excruciatingly long.

Her lips were softer than he expected. He had intended to kiss her, but she beat him to it and leaned in first.

Abby touched her lips to his lightly, then pulled away slightly before pressing her lips to his again, more firmly. She gripped his shoulders when his hands cupped her cheeks. She parted her lips slightly as an invitation, but Gibbs didn't take it.

Gibbs pulled away and placed a soft kiss on the tip of her nose. "Abby…" He waited for her eyes to open. He ran his thumb along the side of her mouth where her lip stick had smeared. "Let's go home."

Abby looked worried, so he pulled her face back to his for a gentle kiss. "This isn't over. We'll finish when we get home." Gibbs put his arm around Abby's shoulder to direct her back towards his car, and Abby wrapped her arm around his waist, looping her thumb through one of his belt loops.

They reached the car and Gibbs leaned forward to open the car door for her. Abby pushed her hip against it to keep it from opening. "Kiss me again, Gibbs."

Gibbs brought his lips down, millimeters from hers. "Wouldn't you rather get home faster?"

"We've got an hour and a half drive. I need something to keep my mind busy."

"Can't you think about the entire night so far?"

Abby bit her lower lip as she smiled. "I need more than an hour and a half to process that."

Gibbs smiled and leaned in for a quick, almost chaste, kiss and then pulled away, intending to walk around the car.

"Oh no, Gibbs" Abby grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him to her. He was right, she did want to hurry and get home, so she didn't try to deepen the kiss, but she enjoyed the feeling of his hands as they moved from her waist down to her hips and then pulled her against him.

Gibbs broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. "I thought you were going to be gentle?"

"Oh God, did I…?"

"No. See, I didn't break. But, can we get going now?"

Abby brushed her lips against his one last time and nodded.

Abby was silent on the drive home. Gibbs was about to ask her what was on her mind, but when he glanced over at her he saw that her eyes were closed, a faint smile on her lips, she was asleep.

This was a huge cliff Gibbs was getting ready to throw himself off of. He just hoped that Abby would be there to be his safety net. He had already started running by telling her that he loved her. There was no turning back at this point. Before, it had just been flirting, a kiss to the neck or shoulder. She had been caring for him while he was injured, but he could've easily had her go back to her place, he had been quite capable of looking out for himself the past several days. The thing was, he didn't want her to leave.

Even though she'd been working her usual 12-14 hour days lately, and he hadn't seen her much, he hadn't lied when he told her that the twenty minutes they'd spent in bed chatting before drifting off to sleep had been the best part of his day. No matter how tired he had been he would force himself to lay awake and wait for her. The first night he had thought about telling her to use the guest room, but a combination of pain and pain medicine as well as the genuine worry on her face had him keep silent. After the first night, the alternative of sending her to the guest room had no longer been an option.

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_TBC…._

_I love me some reviews, ya'll know the deal…_


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N:**__ Alright, well this just keeps getting more and more difficult to write, but I am deeply thankful for your kind words and encouragement. It keeps me working hard. I think Gibbs has a lot of inner turmoil that he kind of needs to think through, so I tried to depict that a bit, but it could easily have gotten out of hand. I hope it's not too out of character._

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Abby stirred and as if on cue, woke fifteen minutes before they arrived back at Gibbs' house. She stretched, arching her back and stretching out her arms, in her seat and shifted so that she sat facing Gibbs.

"Stop staring at me, Abbs."

"Why?"

Gibbs bit back a smile and ignored her, keeping his eyes on the road.

Abby brushed her fingers impishly along his cheek. "Are you ignoring me, Gibbs?" Her fingers drifted from his cheek to his temple and then down to the back of his neck.

Gibbs swallowed the urge to pull the car over. "Abby." There was enough of a warning in his voice to keep her from saying anything else, so she settled back in her seat. She kept her hand at the base of his neck, gently stroking her fingers back and forth across his sensitive skin.

Gibbs pulled up to his house and put the car in park before flipping the keys in the ignition, turning it off. He leaned across the center console and kissed Abby's cheek before pushing his own door open. Abby knew better than to open her door, she waited patiently for Gibbs to circle around, open her door and offer his hand.

Abby collected her purse and jacket and let Gibbs lead her towards the front door.

Hitting the top step, Gibbs unlocked and pushed the door open allowing Abby to step inside first. He hit the switch for the entry light and turned back to lock up for the night. Turning around, he expected to see Abby moving towards the living room or disappearing up the stairs, but instead she stood two feet from him. Her arms were down along her sides, her jacket in one hand, her purse in the other and the look on her face unreadable.

Gibbs covered the distance in one step, his face inches from hers. "What are you looking at me like that for?"

Abby had a hard time holding her expressionless gaze. "What look?"

"You know what…" Gibbs cut himself off by touching his lips to hers. At the touch of his lips, Abby's fingers relaxed and dropped both her purse and jacket to the ground. They stood together, arms at their sides, their bodies mere centimeters from touching. Gibbs was about to break the kiss on his own accord, when the sharp sound of Abby's cell phone started.

Gibbs started to pull back, but Abby's hands flew to his cheeks. "No."

"See who is calling."

"It's not you, so I don't care…"

"Abby." He only had to say her name and she would follow his direction. It amused him.

Abby bent and searched through her purse for her phone. "It's Melissa. She probably just wants me to come out, I don't need to answer."

Gibbs pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "Answer it. Otherwise you'll spend the next eight hours wondering what she was calling for."

"Eight hours, Gibbs? My my, you are confident this evening." Gibbs took the phone from her hand and pressed 'talk' before Melissa could hang up, and pushed the phone to her ear.

"Hello…?" Abby stuck her tongue out at Gibbs and turned towards the living room. Gibbs heard the drop in Abby's voice as she spoke to her friend. "Are you ok? Do you need me to come over?"

Gibbs' head dropped slightly and he felt a dull ache in his chest, but knew that if her friend needed her, it was where she should be. He followed and tugged lightly on Abby's sleeve to get her attention. "If you need to go, go. It's ok."

Abby nodded and returned her attention back to the phone conversation with her friend.

Gibbs made his way to the kitchen to give Abby a little privacy.

He could still hear Abby talking to her friend, when he went back out to the living room. He wanted to let her know that he was heading upstairs; he didn't want her to think that he just walked away. Abby sat on the sofa, facing away from him. He lowered himself to sit on the arm of the sofa and brushed his lips against the top of Abby's head. When she looked up at him, he mouthed that he was going upstairs.

"Wait." Abby covered the mouth piece.

"Is she ok?" Gibbs asked, genuinely concerned. If anything, Abby was extremely loyal to those she considered close friends. If Abby was worried about her, then he would worry too.

Abby nodded. "She found out her boyfriend cheated on her. I won't be long, I promise."

"It's ok, Abbs. Take your time, I'm not going anywhere." He kissed the top of her head one last time as she returned to her conversation with Melissa.

Upstairs Gibbs stopped in the bathroom. Looking himself over in the mirror, he thought he must be seeing a different version of himself than what Abby saw. He ran his fingers through his silver hair and sighed. He wondered what she liked about it so much. She was always complimenting him on it, but to him it just signaled an over abundance of stress in his life and the difference in their age.

He had known for a while that Abby loved him, though he wasn't quite sure why. Sure, they had fun with their flirtatious banter, and he could clearly remember when it first started. He had brought her a Caf-Pow as a reward for working long into the night on an important case. She had called him a 'God among men' and promised her devotion. He couldn't remember his reply, it likely wasn't much, but he could clearly see the entertainment flash in her eyes. But then he wondered what would draw her, someone so happy, so freewheeling, so tender hearted, to him. He was broken and sharp around the edges, and had managed to alienate just about everyone who had gotten close enough to care about him; everyone but her.

God, he had _rules_ against this sort of thing.

Where he had a past, had had a family, she had a few ex-boyfriends and summer fling.

Where his skin was marked by scars that he had no choice but to accept, hers was covered in intricate designs she had picked herself.

Where he valued hard work and loyalty… so did Abby. Abby never took on a job half-heartedly, and that's what he liked about her. He always knew that he would get results, one way or the other from her. She didn't quit halfway through. As with everything she did, she stuck it out for the long-haul, and that's likely why she had spent, now more than a week, at his house with him.

She didn't pressure him, not more than he could handle, anyway, and that was one of the many things he loved about her. She knew when to back off.

_God I love her._

His mind was a mess; maybe the phone call was well-timed.

Gibbs moved to the bedroom and positioned himself on the edge of the bed. _At what point did this become ok?_ At what point was it worth it to go against everything he thought he believed in when it came to Abby. His instinct was to love her and protect her, but from afar. He knew he couldn't hurt her if she was kept an arms' length away, but today he had dropped that arm and pulled her close. If he tried to push her away again, it would hurt her. He'd be breaking another rule – the unspoken rule of keeping Abby free from pain. Now, either way he went he'd break a rule. He would either both hurt Abby and break his unspoken rule, or he'd break rule 12.

He didn't care much for other people and their rules, but when it came to his own, he wasn't sure he had ever broken any of them before.

Gibbs brought his hands up to his face and rubbed his fingers down over his eye lids. He sighed. If they were to have any chance together, then he had to explain to her the internal struggle he fought on a daily basis when it came to his love for her.

Abby was finally able to convince Melissa that if her boyfriend had cheated it was because he was a selfish pig, and that Melissa was not at fault. When she hung up Abby looked at her phone and realized she had been talking for over half an hour. _Shit._

Abby leaned back against the sofa. _Gibbs had gone to all the trouble for the perfect evening, we get home and what do I do? I ignore him. He told me he loved me, for Christ's sake. _Abby closed her eyes._ He told me he loved me. Oh my God! _Abby switched off her phone, she wasn't going to get interrupted again, and ran for the stairs. _Oh, Abigail, how could you be so stupid._ She took the stairs two at a time. She flung open Gibbs bedroom door, expecting to see him in bed and asleep. Instead he sat, still fully clothed on the side of the bed, his head resting in his hands.

"Gibbs!"

He was jolted from his thoughts. He had heard her coming up the stairs in a hurry, but the worry in her voice was unexpected. It frightened him. He jumped up to meet her, but she stopped and remained in the doorway.

"Abby! Is everything ok?"

"No Gibbs, it's not!"

He walked towards her slowly, her eyes were wide and she looked like she was trembling slightly. "Hey, tell me what it is, we'll fix it." He reached out to take hold of her forearms. "Abby, tell me what's wrong."

"You told me that you loved me."

"I didn't realize that was a problem, Abbs." He pulled her against his chest, only slightly relieved that it wasn't something more serious.

"That's not it, Gibbs. You told me that you love me, but I didn't tell you that I love you. You went to all that trouble for this evening, and then you tell me that you love me, and I said nothing. I had the perfect opportunity, but I didn't say it back. Gibbs, I'm so sorry."

"Abby, you tell me you love me every day."

"No, I say things like 'and that's why I love you'. It's not the same as 'I love you'."

Gibbs moved his hands from her back up to her hair, gently undoing the ponytail, letting her hair fall down around her shoulders. "That's not what I mean. You tell me you love me every day, with the way you look at me, the way you hug me. You don't think I know that you love me every time you smile at me?" Gently he ran a finger against the corner of her eye where a tear had formed.

"But Gibbs, I should've told you. I ruined the perfect moment."

"Nah."

"I love you, Gibbs."

Suddenly he found his fingers tangled in her hair and he watched her eyelids flutter closed as he pulled her face towards his. "I love you, too".

He didn't kiss her long; he couldn't let himself get caught up in the excitement that was Abby.

"You're hesitating?"Neither were sure if it was meant as a question or a statement.

_Damn, she reads me well._ "I want to talk to you first."

_--------------_

_TBC…_

_Review, please._


	9. Chapter 9

_Sorry for the slight delay…. This chapter has been written and re-written and then written again. I'm still not sure I'm satisfied with it, but it's one of those things I'm not sure I will be satisfied with it. I changed the story rating to T (it might be M, or at least the next chapter will be, but since the rest of the story is pretty soft, I thought I'd average with a T)._

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Abby stepped out of her heels and then curl a leg under as she sat on the bed. She was glad to be rid of the shoes and it was reassuring to be on Gibbs bed.

Abby felt the bed dip beside her, and heard Gibbs' long drawn-out sigh. "A 'we need to talk' followed by a long sigh…? Gibbs this is the beginning of every break up I've ever seen in a movie or on TV, and we haven't even done anything yet."

Gibbs sat leaning forward, his elbows resting on his thighs near his knees. He looked over at Abby before closing his eyes and shaking his head softly. "You watch too much TV, Abbs. I'm not breaking up with you."

Abby puffed up her cheeks and exhaled. _Well that's a relief._ She placed a reassuring hand on Gibbs back as encouragement for whatever it was he felt they needed to talk about. Sure, they probably needed to talk about where their relationship was headed, but as far as she was concerned, that could be discussed later. "Gibbs? Generally, when you say that we need to talk, you mean that you have something to say… that means you need to talk to me. Talk to me Gibbs."

"Abby, I need you to understand."

Abby searched his face for hints on what he meant. The light from the hallway spilled into the room illuminating his face in the darkened room. "Understand what?"

"I live by my rules, Abbs… I always have."

The realization that he was about to pull out rule 12 hit her like a ton of bricks. She didn't want to cry, so she focused her eyes on her shoes on the floor.

"Abbs." Gibbs waited for her to look at him before continuing. He craved eye contact almost as much as he craved the physical contact that she would no doubted give him if he asked. "I choosing to break rule 12, but I need you to understand something, by doing this, us, I'm giving up my rules… and by giving up my rules, I'm…"

Abby watched as the strongest man she knew, struggled for words. He had never been one to say much, but he had never been at a loss as for what to say either. There was only one thing he could struggle over. Abby thought she knew what he was thinking so she continued for him. "By giving up you rules, you feel like you're giving up Shannon's rules?"

Gibbs nodded. "I'm giving up Shannon." He watched Abby and saw as her heart started to crumble in to a million pieces.

"Gibbs, no, I'm not asking you to give her up. I'm not trying to replace her. She's a part of you, she always will be." Abby placed her hand over his heart. "And I love every bit of you, including her."

"I'm not saying that I'm going to forget her, but I need to let her go. I hadn't been able to do that until now. I've been living with her memory. She's not coming back. I just want you to know that I had to say goodbye to her again, that's why… this whole week, I needed you here with me. I was still a little sore, but I hurt here." Gibbs moved his hand up to cover Abby's which still lay over his heart. "But I'm ok now, I have you. I've ruined ever other relationship I've been in because I couldn't make room for the other person. I don't want that to happen with you."

"You won't let that happen. I trust you."

"This isn't easy."

"What isn't easy?"

"This. You. Loving you."

Abby knew what he meant, but words still stung.

"Abby…"

"No, it's ok. I know you didn't mean it like that. But that's the thing, Gibbs. It is easy. I'm easy." Abby thought for a moment before laughing at herself. "Ok, well that came out wrong too. What I mean, is that love is easy. You don't have to do anything, but let yourself. Your heart will take care of the rest."

"Abby I want us to be in this for the long haul. I don't want you to go anywhere."

"I won't. I've stuck around this long haven't I? I'm not just talking about the past week or so. But the same goes for you, I don't want you to go anywhere either. No running off to Mexico again unless you take me with you, and I need ample time to pack."

"Duly noted. But I'm not sharing you with Franks."

Abby bit back a smile, she hadn't picked up on it at first, but Mike Franks' most recent visit had sparked a little jealousy in Gibbs. "You don't have to share me. With anyone."

"Good."

"Bert, maybe."

"If you can share me with my boat?"

"Are we finished yet?"

Gibbs took one of Abby's hands in his and gently rubbed a small circle on the inner side of her wrist. Abby's obvious impatience amused him. "There is one rule that I refuse to break."

"Never mess with a Marine's coffee?"

A smile tugged at his lips and he brought her hand up to press a kiss against her palm. "That's a good one, but it wasn't the rule I was thinking of. I have an unspoken rule that says to keep Abby safe, at all costs."

Abby debated discussing his rule. She wasn't a child who needed looking after, yet she thought she understood where his over-protectiveness came from. He had lost so much, and knowing him, she knew he would always carry the blame. He refused to lose her as well. So she decided to drop the questions.

"And I feel safe when I'm with you, Gibbs. I always have. Whether you know it or not, I've never felt safer than when you've got an arm around me or a hand on my shoulder."

"Abigail Scuito, you are an amazing woman."

Abby nuzzled her face against Gibbs' neck, taking pleasure in faint smell of sawdust mixed with soap. "Are we done talking, or do we have to discuss what we'll tell the team?"

"What do you think?"

"I think that I'm all talked out, and I wouldn't pay attention to a word that you'd say. Plus, I remember something about being busy for the next eight hours…"

He felt her breath on his neck as she spoke, and when his eyes closed he was kissing her against his car back in Colonial Beach. He knew he was helpless when it came to her. "I love you."

Although the room was dark and Abby blocked the light from the hallway, he could feel the pressure of her middle and ring finger against his chest. Abby pressed the sign for 'I love you' against his chest as she stood.

Standing in front of him, Abby crossed her arms and gripped the bottom hem of her shirt, lifting it slowly. She shivered as the cool air of the evening tickled her exposed skin. She smirked at the amusement she read on Gibbs' face.

"You going to make me do all the work, my silver-haired fox?"

He met her eyes and mirrored her playfulness. "Tempted." He reached out and linked his fingers in the front belt loops of Abby's jeans and pulled her closer. Leaning in and kissing her between her bellybutton and the denim waistband, his fingers made quick work of unbuttoning and unzipping her jeans. "I'm going to take my time with you, Abbs."

Abby trembled. She wasn't sure if it was the continuous onslaught of cool air as he slid her jeans down, or if it was his words.

She stepped out of her jeans and angrily kicked them away, irritated that one of her feet had caught in the fabric. It was a little less graceful than she had intended. "Then, by my watch, you've got about seven hours and fifty-eight minutes left."

Gibbs was standing and before she knew it, his hands were cupping her face and he was kissing her with force. When he pulled away Abby was gasping for air. She wasted no time in pulling his shirt free from his slacks and then up and over his head. In the heat of the moment she had forgotten that he was still slightly bruised. She hesitated at the greenish-brown marks that were still scattered across his torso.

"Abby. They don't hurt. They'll just take a little longer to fade, that's all." He moved to shut off the hallway light, hoping the darkness would help her to forget. He didn't need Abby to worry about hurting him. Gibbs climbed onto the bed, pulling Abby with him.

The light from the moon spilled in over the bed as Gibbs sat back against the headboard and pulled Abby towards him. She straddled him, a knee on either side of his thighs. She leaned forward and kissed over each of the remaining bruises, from the prominent rounded one left from Donny's shoe, to the shadow of a bruise along his jaw. "When you hurt, I hurt." Her fingers moved to the round scar on his left shoulder. "Ari."

Gibbs nodded and then sighed as Abby's warm lips brushed against the marred skin. He moved his hands to her sides, gently trailing his fingers up over the lacy band of her bra and down over the ridges of her ribs to the curve of her waist and hips.

Next her eyes flicked up to several small scars along his hair line. Her lips hovered while she whispered, "the blast." She moved to the newly healed mark above his brow and kissed it as well. "Donny." He pressed his forehead against hers and nodded.

She picked up his right hand. She hated to blame Agent Lee for this scar, but she did. Even though she was dead, she would never forgive her for putting all of her friends at risk. "Bankston." She picked up his left hand and pointed to thin scar running over the top of his middle finger. She had seen it many times, but had never asked. Now was the time.

A small smile tugged at his lips. "Boat." Abby kissed that scar too.

Gibbs brought her hand to the back of his head, he closed his eyes against her touch. He moved her fingers until he was sure she could feel the uneven skin. "Ex-wife. Nine iron."

Abby pressed herself against his chest and buried her face against his neck. "You golf?"

Gibbs touched his lips to her bare shoulder and ran his palms up her back until he reached her bra. "Not anymore." With a quick flick of his fingers, the clasp was undone. He pushed back, away from his chest to toss her bra to the floor. He watched Abby chew nervously on her lower lip as he studied her and touched his thumb to her lip to stop her. "Hey, you're beautiful."

Abby opened her mouth and the pressure he had on her lip was enough to push his thumb into her mouth. His breath caught in his throat when he felt her tongue glide around the tip of his thumb. When he was able to shake his thoughts clear he pulled his thumb from her mouth and trailed it down her chin, her neck, between her breasts, down to the waist band of her panties.

_----_

_TBC…._

_Review, please : )_


	10. Chapter 10

I changed the rating to s(M)ex. Ye be warned. Again, not sure how satisfied I am with the chapter; I'm rather new at writing this sort of rating…

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Abby watched him as his finger made a trail from her chin downward.

He was gentle as he lay her down and then straddled her. Something about her fair skin reminded him of porcelain and he didn't want her to break. Leaning forward, he rested his forearms on either side of her head to help support his weight, and he kissed her. Gibbs ran his tongue gently across Abby's lower lip, she granted him access immediately. The warmth of her mouth was inviting and his tongue dueled with hers in a power struggle over their kiss. Even in intimacy Abby wasn't about to let Gibbs boss her around and take complete control.

He pulled back to look down at her, it was a sight he had seen many times in his dreams and now it was real; Abby looking up at him through her lashes, her lids heavy with desire for him. It felt so good to touch Abby the way he wanted to, and not be confined to just a hand at the small of her back while they stood looking over results, or a chaste kiss to the cheek.

Even the past week when he lay curled around her, her bare back pressing against his chest, he hadn't been able to touch her the way he wanted, needed too.

Abby watched him curiously. She wasn't sure what was going through his mind as his eyes studied her.

She licked her lips, slightly swollen from his kiss.

Gibbs used a finger to tilt her face to the side, exposing her spider web tattoo. He had always studied it when Abby wasn't looking. He used his tongue to trace the lines, leaving a wet trail along each of the strands of the web.

He moved his kiss to the front of her throat and smiled when he felt her hands move to the back of his neck. Abby gasped and he could feel the rush of air through her throat. She pushed her fingers up through his hair and raked them along his scalp.

He kissed his way down her chest, ignoring the discomfort that came with the fact that he was still half-dressed, confined by both his pants and his boxers.

He bit gently over one nipple and then the other, his tongue teasing them to points. Gibbs chuckled softly at Abby's soft whimper.

"Gibbs."

"Hmmhmm?"

"Don't stop… don't ever stop."

"Wouldn't think of it, Abbs."

Slow, reverent kisses covered her sides and across her belly. Abby quivered under his touch and let him see how much power he had over her. He could have asked her to jump off a cliff and she would've done it with no second thoughts. Gibbs allowed his tongue to travel along the edge of her panties, feeling the distinction between her soft skin and the rough texture of the lace. His fingers traced an invisible pattern on her inner thighs as he kissed over the lace. He lifted her hips to slide the lace down and off, taking a moment to watch as Abby squirmed below.

Her smell intoxicated him.

Gibbs ran his finger along her slick opening. He stroked gently before inserting a slippery finger. Abby's hips jutted upward, trying to create the much sought after friction she was looking for. She whined against his soft and slow movements, unable to string together a full sentence.

Gibbs leaned in and pressed a kiss to her most sensitive spot. "You're mine now, Abbs."

Abby dug her fingers in the mess of sheets surrounding her and forced herself to speak. "Al… always have… have been."

Gibbs pressed a second kiss against her, this time allowing his tongue to tease her clit, waiting for her to spill.

Abby had always thought that seeing stars was something created for cartoons. She was wrong.

Gibbs crawled up over her and kissed her softly allowing her to steady herself and stop her world from spinning. He ached with want, but he was no longer a teenager who lacked self-control. He needed to take care of her first.

Abby's mind was spinning. Gibbs had often brought her to an orgasm, however until now it had only been the thought of him, never his actual touch. Things had changed for the better.

When her vision cleared she pushed him off and rolled on her side so that she could work on his belt buckle. Her fingers trembled and she cursed silently when it took her double the time to work the belt, button and zipper. Gibbs sighed at the slight relief he felt as he worked free from his pants and boxers.

Abby licked her palm and reached for him.

Abby was giddy as she twisted her hand around him, she was pleased at the look that crossed his face, knowing that she was the cause. She leaned towards him, nuzzling her face against his neck, alternating between small licks and kisses. She giggled when Gibbs growled his approval as she reached just below his ear.

She nipped at his earlobe and increased the speed of her strokes. Her thumb brushing easily over him, wet precome.

"_Oh Abby…_"

She nodded and pressed her lips to his, allowing him to roll back over her. He thrust into her without a second thought.

Abby whimpered, her hips arching up to meet him. This was so much more than she expected.

He was powerful against her, but she held her own. Her fingers dug into the back of his shoulders, leaving a trail of light scratches. She wasn't too hard, he had been hurt enough lately. The marks would fade by the next day. Her fingernails against his skin only served to urge him on.

He bit at her lower lip and pulled back softly before pressing his lips back to hers.

Gibbs allowed her to push him over to his back so that she could be on top. The sparkle in her eyes amused him and he laughed. She pushed his hands up over his head as she found her rhythm on him. He found the hold on his wrists was light, he could've easy slipped free, but he let her have the control. He wanted to reach up, caress her breasts, to cup her face and bring her down to him. He wanted grip her waist as he thrust up against her.

Abby teetered on the edge, only one… two… more strokes and she would… Gibbs sat up. He had self control, but sometimes he chose not to go with it. He needed to hold on to her, her craved further body contact. Still inside her, he moved them to the edge of the bed. Abby sat facing him on his lap, her legs wrapped around his waist as he thrust up into her.

He held her to him with one arm, while his other hand snaked between them to stimulate her further. He wasn't far from his own release, but as with the rest of his life, he wanted to put Abby first.

He felt her legs tighten around him and she pressed against his chest. "I… I need…"

"Come, Abby." His voice was heavy against her ear.

Abby let out a small cry of relief as she came. The muscles in her calves tensed as her toes curled. Gibbs wasn't far behind her release. He held her hair up off her shoulders and bit down softly. He thrust through his own explosion and then slowed to a stop.

The hitch in her breathing and the way she ghosted his name told him everything he needed to know; she loved him, she wanted him, she needed him. It told him that she would always be there for him, no matter what. It told him that whatever he needed, all he had to do was ask.

Gibbs returned the favor. He made love to her over and over again, each time making sure she knew exactly how much he needed, wanted and loved her.

They covered every inch of his bed. The pillows had been tossed to the floor. The forensic scientist in Abby had her briefly considering what the sheets would look like under a black light, but the thought was pushed from her mind when Gibbs covered her body with his for the 'nth' time that night.

"Damn." As dawn approached, Gibbs fell back, limp against the mattress. He fought to catch his breath and rolled over to look at Abby who lay panting beside him, her hair stuck to the sweat on her forehead. He drew his fingertips across the thin layer of sweat glistening on Abby's chest, which strained and shook with each ragged breath.

"You ok, Abbs?"

Abby looked over at him with a grin. "You rock my world, Gibbs. You _rock_ my world."

Gibbs winked.

Abby rolled closer to Gibbs and pressed her face against his chest. She wrapped and arm around his waist and hugged him closer, something she would never tire of doing. She felt the familiarity of his lips pressed against the top of her head.

"You know, Gibbs, I just might make you that sandwich later today after all."

"Sleep. We can worry about food later."

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TBC…

one chapter left..

Please review, it keeps me inspired :D


	11. Chapter 11

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Abby woke clutching something soft. She struggled to open her eyes; she hadn't been asleep for long, maybe four or five hours. The sun pouring in through the window made it impossible to sleep any longer.

She pressed her face against the pillow in her arms and stretched her legs. She might not have slept long, but she had slept well.

"Gibbs?" Her voice was low and raspy.

"I'm here, Abbs." He placed a hand over her foot that was sticking out of the blanket that was covering her.

Abby propped herself up on her elbows to look at Gibbs. He sat at the end of the bed with his back towards her.

"What are you doing?" Abby pulled the sheet up around her and then scooted to the end of the bed. She smoothed her palm out across his back and rested her chin on his shoulder. "Gibbs?"

He turned his head and kissed her cheek. "Which ones do you want?"

"What, what?"

Gibbs scooted back slightly and pulled her around to sit on his lap. "I don't want to spend another night alone. I want you to stay here."

"I will. I mean, I can't promise that I'll stay confined to this room for the rest of my life, but I'll always come back. Not like I would stray, but you know… work, friends, the kitchen."

"You are impossible Abbs." Gibbs touched his lips to her ear. "I want you to stay here permanently, as in, move in."

"I know what you meant, and I will."

"Good. So which ones do you want?" He nodded to the long dresser lining the wall. "There is plenty of room in the closet as well, but I certainly don't use all the drawers."

"I'll figure it out later, but right now I need a shower. I smell like _you_." Abby pressed a quick kiss to the tip of his nose. "Care to join me?"

"No. If I do, we won't get anything done today. It's already past noon. Plus, I already showered."

"You should've woken me." Abby trailed a finger down his chest.

He stopped her finger before it was able to get too far, and brought it to his lips. "There is plenty of time for that later. Go shower."

"It's Sunday. What do we have to get done today?"Abby pushed off his lap, the sheet still wrapped loosely around her. She bent to dig through her bag for a fresh pair of clothes.

Gibbs admired the sight before him. The intricate lines of the ornate cross on her back moved as searched for something to wear. "We can start bringing some of your stuff over. You don't need to be paying rent on that place any longer than needed."

Abby stopped in the doorway and turned to look over her shoulder at Gibbs. "Sounds good, but Gibbs, there will have to be a few changes."

"Like?"

"I need high-speed internet and digital cable."

"Whatever you want, Abbs. Whatever you want."

"I wouldn't say that, if I were you."

"And why is that?" Gibbs followed her into the hallway.

"Because I'd really like pet monkey, but we both know that isn't likely to happen." Abby stopped in the doorway to the bathroom.

"Alright, whatever you want… within reason." He kissed her bare shoulder as he stepped past her and headed downstairs.

Gibbs was still downstairs when Abby finished her shower. She stood in Gibbs' bedroom, correction, their bedroom and looked around. She still had a towel wrapped around her hair as she dumped the contents of her bag out on Gibbs bed. None of the items that she had with her needed to be hung, she walked to the dresser drawers and searched through them.

She claimed the empty drawers, putting her stuff away. She was about to return to the bathroom to run a comb through her hair when an idea struck her. Abby opened the drawer she had claimed for her underwear. "This ought to do…" Abby held up her skimpiest thong and smiled. She opened random drawers until she found the one containing his socks. "…just a little something to spice up his Monday morning."

*Three weeks later*

Tony sat back in his chair and looked over the squad room. Things had gotten back to normal over the past few weeks. Gibbs was back and finally cleared to be back out in the field – not that he had followed the rules to begin with, but still…

_And Abby,_ he thought, _she was back to normal. She may have paid a little extra attention to Gibbs, but nothing out of the ordinary. They had always been close. Close. Close?_

"Wait a minute." Tony said, to no one in particular. "Has Abby moved out of Gibbs' place?"

Ziva and McGee exchanged glances and looked back to their computers.

Tony shot to his feet. "Wait, do you two know something that I don't?"

"Know what, DiNozzo?" Gibbs strode round the corner, coffee cup in hand.

"Uh, well… see, I was just…" Tony looked from Ziva to McGee and back to Ziva again pleading for an intervention. A welcome interference came in the form of a phone call to Gibbs' desk.

"Dead sailor, lets go."

The three agents grabbed their guns, and all followed Gibbs towards the elevator. Tony watched with wide eyes as McGee handed a crisp $50 to Ziva.

They rode to the crime scene in silence, Tony mulling a million different questions in his mind. The pulled up to find the scene had been taped off by local LEO's.

"Ziva…"

"Talk to the owner of the property, get the names and numbers of the neighbors."

"McGee…"

"Get a statement from the woman who found the body."

"Tony."

"Get photos and start bagging and tagging. On it, boss."

Gibbs nodded and took a sip of his coffee. "Oh, and DiNozzo…"

"Yeah, boss?"

"If you are curious about Abby's living arraignments, ask her. I'm sure she'll tell you."

Tony stumbled over his words. By the time he had come up with an answer Gibbs had walked away.

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Abby dialed Gibbs phone.

"Yeah, Abbs?"

Abby paused and looked at her phone, she could still hear it ringing, yet Gibbs had answered.

"Turn around, Abby."

Abby spun around to see Gibbs and Tony approaching.

"Whoa, how did you know?! I've already got a DNA match for you, and three sets of prints from the gun."

Gibbs ignored the question and stepped up the flat screen and waited for her to pop the information up on the screen.

"The dead sailor is Adam Lee. He was on a 36 hour leave, and was due back this morning. The prints on the gun belong to..." Abby rattled off the information with practiced ease. She already had the names and address printed up and held it out as Gibbs stepped towards her. He set down a small stuffed animal on her keyboard and kissed her cheek softly.

"Good work, Abbs. Tony, call in his commanding officer."

"Sure thing, boss." Tony waited until Gibbs was in the elevator before turning back to Abby. "What was that all about?"

Abby hugged the stuffed animal to her chest and smiled brightly. "He got me a monkey."

_End._

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*Sniff sniff* First of all, I've got to say… I'm sad to see this one end. I had a lot fun writing this (ok, the gabby sizz-ex was a lil' difficult).

Please Review, let me know what you think : )


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